Good health is just a slice of bread away

You may not believe this but a slice of bread is actually good for you. But be sure that it is fortified with folate, which many nutrition experts say is responsible for cell regeneration, and is a micronutrient needed by women who want to have babies.

Folate is one of the water-soluble B-complex vitamins that occur naturally in foods, such as whole wheat, yeast, legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables, such as kangkong, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, saluyot and mustard greens, and fruits such as avocado, banana, mango and orange.

However, cooking depletes the natural folate content of food products by half, says nutritionist Dr. Linda Mabesa of the UP Los Baños Food Technology Department during a recent roundtable discussion on folate organized by Gardenia.

“With cooked food, folate absorption is only up to 50 percent, while absorption is 100 percent with enriched foods and vitamins,” Mabesa explains.

There has been little talk about folate in the public until it was proven that folate deficiency among pregnant mothers results in babies with birth defects.

Folate deficiency has been blamed for the inability of some women to conceive and has been linked to disorders affecting the nervous system, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, of fetuses.

Spina bifida refers to the incomplete development of the spinal cord and its bony encasement, while anencephaly refers to the incomplete development of the brain in a fetus.

Babies with these disorders often die at an early age, and those who survive into childhood are seriously affected by physical and mental disabilities.

In 1998, the United States required the fortification of baking flour with folate. Since this law was implemented, figures showed that the incidence of birth defects in babies went down by 20 percent.

Studies in the United Kingdom, where there is more monitoring of neural tube defects in babies, saw a 72 percent reduction in babies born with defects with the implementation of a folate fortification program.

In the Philippines, there is no data on the incidence of folate deficiency, Mabesa notes. The Department of Health’s Sangkap Pinoy program, which mandated the fortification with micronutrients of a number of food items in the market, does not include folate.

A sure sign of folate deficiency in children is the occurrence of cleft palate. There are no known figures for this disorder in the country, although Mabesa points out that its incidence may be high due to the number of street children often seen afflicted with the ailment.

Among adults, the daily requirement for folate is 400 mcg, while in pregnant women this goes up to 600 mcg. In children, the daily needed amount of folate is 200 to 300 mcg.

However, women need folate long before they intend to get pregnant. Mabesa says women need folate most just before they conceive and during the first few weeks of pregnancy. The best way to obtain folate in preparation for pregnancy is by consuming fortified foods, such as bread.

And lest one thinks only pregnant women need folate, think again. Folate is an important nutrient in cell regeneration. It is needed in red blood cell formation, and cell production particularly in cells with a short lifespan such as the skin and the intestines.

Folate allows the complete development of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. It may cause macrocytic anemia wherein the red blood cells do not split into smaller cells like healthy cells. This seriously compromises the balance of red and white blood cells in the body, and affects the delivery of oxygen.

Folate is also needed in the production of new cells, particularly skin cells, intestinal cells and other cells that line exposed surfaces and cavities throughout the body. When the body continually produces new cells, it results in a healthy glow, young looking and radiant skin, and a refreshed body, as well as contributing other anti-ageing benefits. However, a deficiency in folate may result in gingivitis, periodontal disease, and seborrheic dermatitis.

There are also studies linking folate with cancer. Since folate is involved in the synthesis, repair and function of the DNA, there is some evidence linking folate deficiency with DNA damage that ultimately results in cancer, particularly breast, pancreatic and colon cancers. Researchers are still investigating whether enhanced levels of folate intake could reduce cancer risk.

In the Philippines, folate is readily available in many fortified food products such as bread. Among local brands, Gardenia has been fortifying its bread products with folate since it rolled out its first loaf of white bread 10 years ago.

Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. general manager Simplicio Umali Jr. says Gardenia, with the help of local nutritionists, has adjusted the level of folate in their breads to address the needs of Filipinos.

“We just didn’t talk about it because we didn’t see an urgency,” says Umali. “But now that we know its importance in our diets, particularly women, it is our responsibility to inform the public about it. Hopefully, this will encourage other bread makers to follow and fortify their breads with folate.”

Folate is present in all bread lines of Gardenia, though it is present in larger amounts in its Classic White Bread and pan de sal. Two slices of white bread will give one 60 percent of his or her daily requirements of folate, while consuming five pieces of pan de sal will give one a full intake of folate.

And unlike other food products, folate in bread is 100 percent available. It is not diminished in efficacy by toasting or cooking the bread, unlike in vegetables.