Folate-Containing Fermented Foods of Plant and Animal Origin: The Value of Traditional Foods to Tackle Folate Deficiency.

Folate is a vital micronutrient involved in many essential biosynthetic pathways in the human body. Increased requirements during pregnancy make folate deficiency a global health concern. Supplemental folic acid prescribed to prevent/correct the deficiency has its limitations, making dietary folate superior to supplementation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of traditional fermented foods worldwide, their folate concentrations, microbial strains, and potential to improve folate status in animal models. Relevant studies investigating the folate content in fermented foods were identified. This review covers a variety of traditional plant- and animal-based fermented foods. Nigerian ogi fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly known as Lactobacillus plantarum) and Candida tropicalis had the highest folate among plant-based foods (3097 μg/100 mL), while yogurt containing L. plantarum had the highest folate in animal-based foods (6323 μg/100 mL), providing ~500%-1000% of the recommended dietary allowance for pregnant women. L. plantarum was the most common strain found in foods with high folate concentrations. Seven animal studies demonstrated promising results supporting the effectiveness of fermented foods in improving folate status. This review concludes that traditional fermented foods are a good source of folate, with certain bacteria boosting folate levels, making biofortified fermented products a promising alternative to folic acid supplementation to decrease folate deficiency.