Unfortunately folates contained in foods are unstable and susceptible to oxidation; they rapidly lose activity during food processing, manufacturing and storage and have a bioavailability range of 25-50%, depending on the kind of food. Fresh leafy vegetables stored at room temperature may lose up to 70% of their folate activity within three days and a cooking process in water can increase the loss to 95%.
Humans cannot synthesize folate and because of its water-soluble nature, the body stores folate to a limited extent. For this reason folate represents a dietary requirement and must be consumed by diet. Whether we ingest food containing natural or synthetically derived folates, they are metabolized to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is considered the biologically active form of the B-vitamin folic acid. 1.
You know that eating the right foods can help your kids be healthy and strong, right? Well, folic acid is a special vitamin that helps kids be healthy! Here's how:
Folate helps make DNA. DNA tells the cell what it will be and how it will work. Your kid’s body makes lots of new cells every day and each cell needs DNA. DID YOU KNOW...your body replaces cells in your small intestine about every 5 days? That's about 17 billion new cells your child’s body makes every few days! Folate is needed to make red blood cells, something that happens every day. They help them have the energy to do things like run, swim, ride their bike, and play sports.
As kids get older, folate may help them keep away certain diseases. It also can help moms have healthy babies. 2.
1. Quatrefolic .com
2. Florida Folic Acid Coalition