Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

528 ALICE CALLAHAN, PHD, HEATHER LEONARD, MED, RDN, AND TAMBERLY POWELL, MS, RDN
Figure 9.16. Spina bifida (left) is a neural tube defect that can have serious health consequences.
The prevalence of cases of spina bifida has decreased significantly with the fortification of cereal
and grain products in the United States beginning in 1998.
Additionally, results of clinical trials have demonstrated that neural tube defects are
significantly decreased in the offspring of mothers who began taking folic acid supplements
one month prior to becoming pregnant and throughout pregnancy. In response to the
scientific evidence, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) raised
the RDA for folate to 600 micrograms per day for pregnant women.
Dietary Sources of Folate
Folate is found naturally in a wide variety of foods, including vegetables (particularly dark
leafy greens), fruits, nuts, beans, legumes, meat, poultry, eggs, and grains. As mentioned
previously, folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) is also found in enriched foods such as
grains.