Fortification of wheat and maize flour with folic acid for population health outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: Fortification of wheat flour with folic acid may reduce the risk of neural tube defects; however, this outcome was only reported in one non-RCT. Fortification of wheat or maize flour with folic acid (i.e. alone or with other micronutrients) may increase erythrocyte and serum/plasma folate concentrations. Evidence is limited for the effects of folic acid-fortified wheat or maize flour on haemoglobin levels or anaemia. The effects of folic acid fortification of wheat or maize flour on other primary outcomes assessed in this review is not known. No studies reported on the occurrence of adverse effects. Limitations of this review were the small number of studies and participants, limitations in study design, and low-certainty of evidence due to how included studies were designed and reported. PMID: 31257574 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Source Type: research