Folate (also called folic acid and folacin) is one of the B vitamins found in various foods such as strawberries, oranges, orange juice, green leafy vegetables and beans. Folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, is found in fortified foods, such as enriched grains and breakfast cereals. The U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (USRDA) for folate is 400 micrograms (mcgs) per day of dietary folate equivalents — and unfortunately, most Americans don’t get enough.

Folate is especially important for women of childbearing age because it reduces the chance of fetal neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. According to the CDC, consuming the RDA of 400 mcgs Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE) daily can eliminate up to 70% of neural tube defects. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers recently published results of an analysis of folate intake among women using the NHANES 2001-2002 database, and found that the majority of women of childbearing age are not meeting their daily folate requirements. They reported that dietary folate averaged 151 mcgs DFE per day while folic acid intake from fortified foods contributed 128 mcgs DFE per day. (1)

The CDC and other experts suggest contributing factors to the decline of folic acid may be linked to the shortfall of produce in diets and the popularity of low-carbohydrate diet.

Folate may be involved with not only healthy pregnancies, but may be cardioprotective, aid in neurological function, and may have anti-cancer properties. Folate helps break down homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood that may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends that persons at high risk for cardiovascular disease consume adequate amounts of folate, or at least 400 mcgs DFE per day.

When it comes to folate, there is good news for strawberry lovers: a serving of strawberries, eight medium berries, provides 35 mcgs folate or nearly 9 percent of the daily requirement of folate. Using CSFII and NHANES IV datasets, researchers reported that strawberry eaters have higher mean folate intakes than those who reported not eating strawberries. In fact, strawberry consumers ate nearly 25% more folate than those who did not report eating strawberries. Strawberry eaters also had higher serum and red blood cell folate levels and lower serum homocysteine levels.

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