Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

VITAMINS AND MINERALS INVOLVED IN ENERGY METABOLISM 527
Figure 9.15. Folate and the formation of macrocytic anemia.
Folate is especially essential for the growth and specialization of cells of the central
nervous system. Children whose mothers were folate-deficient during pregnancy have a
higher risk of neural tube birth defects. Folate deficiency is causally linked to the
development of spina bifida, a neural tube defect that occurs in a developing fetus when the
spine does not completely enclose the spinal cord. Spina bifida can lead to many physical
and mental disabilities (Figure 9.16). In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
began requiring manufacturers to fortify enriched breads, cereals, flours, and cornmeal
with folic acid (a synthetic form of folate) to increase the consumption of folate in the
American diet and reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Observational studies show that
the prevalence of neural tube defects was decreased after the fortification of enriched cereal
and grain products with folate compared to before these products were fortified.