Sight and Life Magazine 1/2011

98Editor’s note: Sight and Life reviews recent publications whichmay be of particular interest to our readers. However, no publicationsother than Sight and Life publications are available fromus, nor do we have any privileged access to them.Folate inHealth and Disease2nd EditionMore than a decade has passed since the first edition ofFolate in Health and Disease was published. During this time,there have been thousands of new research studies related tofolate and its link to disease and birth defect risk, thus providingthe impetus for an updated interpretation of this largebody of scientific evidence. The public health implicationsof these new findings are enormous; therefore, the secondedition bridges basic science with clinical medicine andpublic health.The first chapters provide background knowledge relatedto folate chemistry, metabolism, bioavailability, and the influenceof genetic polymorphisms. Folate’s role in reproductionand birth defect prevention is then reviewed, followed by aseparate chapter in which epidemiological evidence linkingspecific birth defects and folate status is evaluated. Chronicdisease is covered in a similar manner to that of birth defects.The interrelationships between folate and other nutrientsrequired for normal one-carbon metabolism are then coveredin several chapters, and the biochemical and clinical ramificationsof alterations in status are highlighted. The interactionbetween folate and vitamin B₁₂ is addressed from abiochemical and public health perspective. The complexitiesof diagnosis and treatment of a clinical folate deficiency arediscussed, followed by a related chapter on the effect ofalcohol on folate and methionine metabolism. Choline iscovered in a separate chapter.Dietary intake recommendations for select countries worldwideare compared with an overview of the approaches usedby the Institute of Medicine’s committee to estimate theDietary Reference Intakes. Changes in folate status over timewithin the US population are a focus of this chapter, withattention given to the influence of folic acid fortification andsupplement use on folate status. Estimated dietary folate intakesfor the US population and specific population subgroupsare presented.For more information, please visithttp://www.routledge.com/books/details/9781420071245/