The bioavailability of folic acid added to wine

Folate deficiency is a frequent cause of anemia in alcoholics, but little attention has been paid to its prevention. Folic acid was readily soluble in wines of high ethanol content at concentrations of 10 microgram/ml. Lactobacillus casei folate activity of folic acid added to wines was well maintained during a month's storage at room temperature and fell to 61% to 66% of original activity after 3 months. Pteroylglutamic acid, 10 microgram/ml, added to wines and given in doses of the beverages (4 ml/kg body weight that caused inebriation, was well absorbed by six normal human volunteers (mean maximal increment in serum folate concentration +/- SEM, 71 +/- 8 ng/ml) and by seven recently intoxicated chronic alcoholics (mean increment, 94 +/- 4 ng/ml). Folate deficiency in alcoholics could be prevented by the fortification of alcoholic beverages with the vitamin.