Study urges Hispanics to take folic acid

Fortification of corn masa flour products could increase folic acid intake by nearly 20% for Mexican-Americans, who are at a 30% to 40%  higher risk of severe brain and spinal birth defects, according to a  study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study examined data from 2,862 women aged 15 to 44 collected through  the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. To look at the  potential impact of corn masa flour fortification with folic acid on  Mexican-American women compared to other segments of the US population,  the researchers developed a model. This included identifying food that  contained corn masa flour, measuring how much of the product is in each  food item, determining how much folic acid to add to the food products  and creating sample food items to estimate the impact of folic acid corn  masa flour fortification on folic acid intake, they noted.

The study indicates that, if the flour was fortified with folic acid,  the intake of the vitamin for Mexican-American women could increase.  Folic acid can prevent up to 70% of neural tube defects, such as  anencephaly and spina bifida. A recent CDC study reported that only 21%  of Hispanic women are consuming the recommended amount of the substance,  compared with over 40% of white women.