By:
Chuck Woods (352) 392-0400Source(s):
Ron Lutz rlutz@ufl.edu, (352) 392-1978 ext. 406
Gail Rampersaud gcr@ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-1978 ext. 423
Lynn Bailey LBBailey@ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-1991 ext. 213
Gail Kauwell gkauwell@ufl.edu, (352) 392-1991 ext. 227
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Folic Acid Coalition, based at the University of Florida, is joining with the National Council on Folic Acid to promote National Folic Acid Awareness Week, Jan. 9-15, 2006.
The goal of the weeklong event is to increase consumer awareness of the importance of folic acid in their diet for the prevention of birth defects as well as the vitamin’s many other lifelong benefits, said Ron Lutz, a family nurse practitioner and coordinator for the Florida Folic Acid Coalition at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS.
“We also encourage health care providers to promote the benefits of folic acid in potentially reducing the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and conditions affecting the brain such as Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
Gail Rampersaud, a registered dietitian and assistant in nutrition research and education at UF/IFAS, said folic acid is a B- vitamin necessary for proper cell growth. Daily intake of at least 400 micrograms of folic acid before and during pregnancy has been shown to reduce the risk for serious birth defects of the brain and spine, called neural tube defects.
Since 1998, the Food and Drug Administration has required the addition of folic acid to enriched cereal grain products such as breads, cereals, flours, pastas, rice and other grain products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fortification has helped reduce the rates of neural tube defects by approximately 26 percent.
Rampersaud said the theme of the educational campaign – Folic Acid: You Don’t Know What You’re Missing! – is especially important in light of the recent Gallup Organization Poll for the March of Dimes that showed only 7 percent of women know that folic acid must be taken before a pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. Only about one- third of women of childbearing age take folic acid daily.
Lynn Bailey, a professor in the UF/IFAS food science and human nutrition department, said that taking 400 micrograms of folic acid before and during early pregnancy from a multi- vitamin or fortified foods may help reduce the risk for neural tube defects by up to 70 percent and may reduce risks for other birth defects as well. Her research on folic acid was a major factor in the National Academy of Sciences’ decision to issue its recommendations on folic acid and birth defect prevention.
“Although the popularity of low- carbohydrate diets is waning, many women still restrict their intake of folic acid- enriched grain products such as breads, cereals, rice and pastas when trying to curb calorie intake,” Bailey said. “Many women of childbearing age might not understand that lowering their intake of enriched grains could increase their risk of having a pregnancy affected by a birth defect.”
To get enough folic acid every day, women should take a daily multivitamin and include fortified grains as part of a healthy diet that includes folate- rich foods such as orange juice, dark green leafy vegetables, strawberries, and legumes such as peanuts and kidney beans, Bailey said.
About 3,000 babies in the United States – including 80 babies in Florida – are born each year with a neural tube defect, resulting in substantial emotional and financial impacts on affected families. “Taking a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day is such a simple thing to do yet can return huge benefits with regard to the health of a mother and her children,” she said.
Bailey and Rampersaud, along with Gail Kauwell, a professor in the food science and human nutrition department, oversee the Florida Folic Acid Coalition, which is currently supported by UF/IFAS and the March of Dimes, Florida Chapter.
The Florida coalition works closely with the National Council on Folic Acid in Alexandria, Va. Other coalition members include the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Birth Defects Registry and the University of South Florida.
Adriane Griffen, chair of the national council, said, “Considering that half of all pregnancies are unplanned, it is especially important that all women of childbearing age take folic acid daily to help prevent neural tube defects – even before they are thinking of becoming pregnant.”
She said research shows that folic acid may reduce the risk of other birth defects, such as heart defects, cleft lip and cleft palate, and may also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and colon and breast cancer. Both men and women may benefit from taking folic acid to reduce risks for some chronic diseases.
“We encourage everyone to take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day,” she said. “The preliminary research findings are exciting, and we believe that taking adequate amounts of folic acid can be beneficial for men and women of all ages.”
For more information about folic acid and National Folic Acid Awareness Week, visit the Web site of the National Council on Folic Acid, http://www.folicacidinfo.org or the Florida Folic Acid Coalition, www.folicacidnow.net.
Another Sources for this story was Adriane Griffen (202) 944- 3285 ext 13, agriffen@folicacidinfo.org
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