Availability of folates from some foods

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Human Physiology
• Dietary Bioavailability Studies

Background:

• Folic acid (vitamin B9) is crucial for cell growth and DNA synthesis.
• Understanding food folate bioavailability is key for public health nutrition and dietary recommendations in India.
• Common Indian foods and yeast are significant sources of folate in the Indian diet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the availability of folic acid from seven commonly consumed Indian foods.
• To assess the bioavailability of folate from brewer's yeast.
• To compare folic acid absorption rates from different dietary sources.

Main Methods:

• Human subjects ingested known quantities of food folate from selected Indian foods and brewer's yeast.
• Urinary excretion of folate was measured to quantify absorbed folic acid.
• Bioavailability was calculated based on the ratio of absorbed folate to ingested folate.

Main Results:

• The mean bioavailability of folic acid from the seven Indian foods studied was consistently above 50%.
• In contrast, the availability of folic acid from brewer's yeast was significantly lower, approximately 10%.
• This indicates considerable variation in folate absorption depending on the food matrix.

Conclusions:

• Common Indian foods provide a readily available source of folic acid for normal human subjects.
• Brewer's yeast is a poor source of bioavailable folic acid compared to typical Indian foods.
• Dietary recommendations should consider the differential bioavailability of folate from various food sources.