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- Title
Fortified mineral water improves folate status and decreases plasma homocysteine concentration in pregnant women.
- Authors
Järvenpää, Jouko; Schwab, Ursula; Lappalainen, Tiina; Päkkilä, Mervi; Niskanen, Leo; Punnonen, Kari; Ryynänen, Markku
- Abstract
Objectives: There is no mandatory folic acid fortification of food in Finland. We investigated the effects of mineral water fortified with folic acid, vitamins B6, B12, D and calcium on serum and erythrocyte folate concentrations, serum vitamin B12 and plasma homocysteine concentrations in pregnancy. Design: A randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group intervention study. Methods: Seventy-four pregnant women were recruited from two health care units. The study began at the eleventh week with a two-week run-in period, followed by an eight-week intervention period. The diet was monitored by food records. During the intervention, subjects consumed 1000 mL/day fortified or normal mineral water. The pregnancies were monitored carefully. Results: The folate intake was 255 μg/day in the study group and 274 μg/day in the controls. Serum folate concentrations increased in the study group by 10.3 nmol/L and decreased in the controls by 2.7 nmol/L (P<0.05) during the study. The erythrocyte folate concentrations increased in the study group by 360.9 nmol/L and in the controls by 195.6 nmol/L (P=0.004) and serum homocysteine concentrations fell by 1.1 μmol/L and by 0.3 μmol/L, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusions: Finnish pregnant women have low dietary folate intake. Fortified mineral water improved folate status and reduced plasma homocysteine concentrations in the pregnant subjects.
- Subjects
ENRICHED foods; PREGNANT women; MINERAL waters; HOMOCYSTEINE; PREGNANCY
- Publication
Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 2007, Vol 35, Issue 2, p108
- ISSN
0300-5577
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1515/JPM.2007.024