Total folate and folic acid intakes from foods and dietary supplements of US children aged 1-13 y.
BACKGROUND
Total folate intake includes naturally occurring food folate and folic acid from fortified foods and dietary supplements. Recent reports have focused on total folate intakes of persons aged > or =14 y. Information on total folate intakes of young children, however, is limited.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to compute total folate and total folic acid intakes of US children aged 1-13 y by using a statistical method that adjusts for within-person variability and to compare these intakes with the Dietary Reference Intake guidelines for adequacy and excess.


METHODS
Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, were analyzed. Total folate intakes were derived by combining intakes of food folate (naturally occurring and folic acid from fortified foods) on the basis of 24-h dietary recall results and folic acid intakes from dietary supplements on the basis of a 30-d questionnaire.


RESULTS
More than 95% of US children consumed at least the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for folate from foods alone. More than one-third (35%) of US children aged 1-13 y used dietary supplements, and 28% used dietary supplements containing folic acid. Supplement users had significantly higher total folate and folic acid intakes than did nonusers. More than half (53%) of dietary supplement users exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for total folic acid (fortified food + supplements) as compared with 5% of nonusers.


CONCLUSIONS
Total folate intakes of most US children aged 1-13 y meet the EAR. Children who used dietary supplements had significantly higher total folate intakes and exceeded the UL by >50%.
Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. baileyr@mail.nih.gov
Regan L
RL
Bailey
Margaret A
MA
McDowell
Kevin W
KW
Dodd
Jaime J
JJ
Gahche
Johanna T
JT
Dwyer
Mary Frances
MF
Picciano
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D005492:Folic Acid