Folic acid fortified food and their importance in health promotion

In recent years great attention has been focused on the role of folates in public health. Folates prevent the development of neural tube defects and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, some kinds of cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review the dietary source of folates and daily dietary intake was presented. The role of fortified products in consumption in model diets is also discussed. In the typical Polish diet folic acid source is from normal foodstuffs such as: cereals and potatoes (48%), vegetables and fruits (28%) and from meat, fish and eggs about 10%. The consumption of folic acid fortified products increase the intake of folic acid of about 26%. The source of folic acid were foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses and food supplements.