Relevance of folic acid fortification of foods in the nutrition of women and children

Abstract

Folic acid and its biologically active derivates (folacin or folates) rank among the B-group vitamins due to their hydrophilic character. This acid occurs in nature either in the free form or it is bound to proteins or polysaccharides. Folic acid belongs to the group of vitamins which, in the past were not considered important because the relevance of the acid in biological processes of the living cell has been discovered by the scientific research only in recent years. Folates play an important role as co-enzymes in the synthesis of RNA, DNA, proteins and of some essential amino acids. Therefore they are inevitable for the haematopoiesis, growth and reproduction of cells. In this sense a widely oriented research named "Maternal Folate Status" is proceeding in the U.S.A., Australia and France.