Folate -- folic acid -- reduces the risk of birth defects, so moms have been advised to include folate in their diet for years. A new study, though, shows that folate can help women past their childbearing years avert heart disease.
"Folate is not just for women having babies," Gail Kauwell, Ph.D., R.D., tells ThirdAge News. Kauwell is codirector of the folate study conducted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. She says, "We found that women who have been through menopause can reduce the risk of heart disease by including 400 micrograms of folate in their diet."
"Folate-rich diets reduce homocysteine levels in the blood, which is a risk factor for coronary heart disease," Kauwell says. "Orange juice is a great way to get folate because it's easy, convenient and easily available. 400 micrograms is the equivalent of two servings of juice, or one glass and a serving of strawberries, black beans or dark leafy greens." Results of the study appear in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
Since 1998 the federal government has required certain foods to be fortified with folic acid, including bread, cereal, pasta, flour, crackers and rice. Fortified foods and folic acid supplements are available, but Dr. Kauwell encourages women to include natural folate food sources in their diet. "Folate-rich foods are also rich in other nutrients," she says. "And they're easy to include in any diet."
