Return to home page
The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 263 No 7074 p898
December 4, 1999 Letters

Nutrition

Folic acid bioavailability

From Mr S. Goott, MRPharmS

SIR,—I read with interest the article entitled "Nutrition for pharmacists" (PJ, November 6, p762).
I feel that Dr Rhoda Lee has omitted to draw attention to the fact that supplemental folic acid is approximately twice as bioavailable as the folate that occurs naturally in food.
The reference for this statement can be found in the New England Journal of Medicine, April 9, 1998, p1060, and referred to in the Medical Letter, Volume 40, July 31, 1998.
This fact is an important aspect in the recommendation of folic acid supplementation.

S. Goott
Hillbrow, South Africa