Dietary Folate and Human Health

Dear Colleagues,

Folate, a group of essential micronutrients, is a key player in cellular one carbon metabolism being thus critical for the synthesis of several amino acids, of nitrogen bases for nucleotide synthesis, and for the provision of the universal methyl donor, S-adenosyl-methionine. Cell division, catecholamine metabolism, and epigenetic regulation of gene expression are major functions affected by folate availability.

Folate deficiency is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies in the western world since it can result from a diversity of factors and conditions, such as poor folate sources intake, intestinal malabsorption, intestinal dysbiosis, drug interaction or increased needs as observed in pregnancy, neonatal growth and cancer. Concomitantly, folate deficiency is known to increase the risk of a series of conditions or diseases, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular disease, stroke, mental diseases, cancer and neural tube defects.

Fortification of staple foods with folate and clinical supplementation with folate emerged from bright scientific evidence showing a protective effect of folate supplementation against neural tube defect recurrence or first occurrence.

Nevertheless, unambiguous evidence of folate supplementation safety at high doses or benefits on cardiovascular disease or dementia is still largely lacking.

This Special Issue aims to gather scientific updates about the role of dietary folate in human health, the role of folate as an epigenetic modifier, dietary folate availability, transport and metabolism, analytical methodologies for folate quantification (in food matrices and in biological samples), nutrition policies regarding folates and medical guidelines for folate supplementation in pregnancy worldwide. Contributions may take the form of original articles or reviews of the literature, systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Prof. Elisa Keating
Prof. Conceição Calhau
Prof. Fátima Martel
Guest Editors

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