Folate intake of older adults before and after fortification of grain products.

PURPOSE: To determine whether fortification allowed older adults in the Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health area to obtain adequate amounts of food folate, and the proportion at risk of consuming more than the upper limit (UL) of folic acid (1,000 mcg).

METHODS

Dietary intake of a convenience sample of 103 healthy, active older adults (age range: 65 to 95 years) was measured using three 24-hour recalls. Dietary folate pre- and post-fortification was estimated.

RESULTS

Mean dietary folate increased from pre- to post-fortification, but 43.4% of women and 20% of men still consumed less than the Estimated Average Requirement of 320 mcg dietary folate equivalent. No intakes exceeded the UL. Participants whose diet met grain products and vegetable and fruit recommendations of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating consumed significantly more folate.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite fortification, some older adults in the KFL&A area may not be obtaining enough folate to meet their nutritional needs, and may be at risk for health problems associated with folate deficiency. However, without concomitant serum folate measurements, the proportion is not known. Dietitians need to continue promoting foods naturally rich in folate, along with folic acid-fortified foods. While none of the older adults consumed more than the UL, some could exceed this amount if folic acid supplements were added to a folic acid-rich diet.