Consumption of folic acid-fortified flour and folate-rich foods among women at reproductive age in South Brazil.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the consumption of flour derivatives and folate-rich food in a sample of women at childbearing age from Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Methods: Four-hundred women at childbearing age (15-45 years) were interviewed, and their socioeconomic status and folate intake were investigated. All women signed an informed consent form. Based on their dietary habits, an estimated calculation of the amount of flour intake was done.

Results: Mean daily intake of folate was 220.1 mug. The intake of flour was 176 g/day/woman. The combined intake of folate from folate-rich foods and flour derivatives (wheat and/or corn flour) was 404.7 mug/day/person.

Conclusion: Since the recommended daily allowance of folic acid is 400 mug/day, including both folate from food sources and supplements, the addition of folic acid to wheat flour was essential to ensure the intake of the minimum recommended amount. However, there is no guarantee that this amount was maintained on this Brazilian sample when losses resulting from cooking and/or from UV radiation (not considered in this study) are computed.