Folate in Health and Disease

During the fifteen years since the bestselling first edition of Folate in Health and Disease was published, there have been thousands of new research studies related to folate and its role in health and disease. The second edition of the book uniquely bridges the gap between basic science and public health/clinical medicine.

Presents Groundbreaking Findings on Folate’s Role in HealthNew insights related to folate chemistry, bioavailability, kinetics, metabolism, nutrient-gene, and nutrient-nutrient interaction are coupled with a public health/clinical medicine perspective of research findings targeted to birth defects, vascular and neurological diseases, and cancer. Epidemiological evidence is interpreted in tandem with new findings related to folate’s mechanistic role in health maintenance and disease/birth defect prevention. Global recommendations for folate intake and a synopsis of folic acid fortification programs are featured. Folate acid intake and status in the U.S. are described in relation to the impact of fortification. A comprehensive critique of analytical techniques for folate analysis provides a valuable resource for future investigations as well as an interpretation of existing studies.

Contributions from 50+ International ExpertsThis authoritative text covers:

• Folate-related genetic polymorphisms and birth defect risk
• Folic acid fortification programs and effects on NTDs
• Vitamin B12 and choline interactions with folate
• Alcohol’s influence on folate status and methionine metabolism
• Clinical folate deficiency and assessment
• Folate intake recommendations globally; consumption and status in the U.S.

Assembling more than 50 international experts working on the front lines of folate research, this standard-setting reference brings you up to speed on the explosion of information garnered from a wealth of new developments. It continues to be a must-have resource for investigators in both basic and applied research and scientists and nutritionists in academia, clinical medicine, and public health.

Lynn B. Bailey, PhD, is a professor in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Her research focus is the estimation of folate requirements involving metabolic studies conducted with human subjects of all ages, including pregnant women and the elderly population. Evaluation of the impact of genetic variants on folate requirements and biomarkers for disease and birth defect risk is also a key research emphasis. Dr. Bailey has served as a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intake committee for folate, vitamin 12, and other B vitamins, and was a member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Folic Acid Advisory Committee. She has served as a scientific advisor for the Centers for Disease Control and Birth Defect Prevention, as well as for other organizations, including the March of Dimes and the Pan American Health Organization, on projects focused on neural tube defect prevention in the United States and developing countries.

Dr. Bailey has received numerous awards, including the USDA Superior Achievement Award; the March of Dimes’ Agnes Higgins Award, Maternal-Fetal Nutrition; the American Society for Nutrition’s Centrum Science Award for influence on current scientific knowledge of folate status and requirements of humans; and the University of Florida’s Teacher Scholar of the Year award.