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Issue # 66.3 - Homocysteine LoweringFolic acid supplementation for coffee drinkers? Elevated levels of plasma homocysteine (tHcy) are identified as independent risk factors for coronary heart disease and foetal neural tube defects. tHcy levels are negatively associated with folic acid intakes but increase as a result of coffee consumption. The ability of folic acid supplementation to eliminate the tHcy-elevating effect of coffee was investigated in a recent randomised, blind study. A total of 121 healthy non-smoking subjects (male and female, aged 29-65 years) participated in the trial. The effects of consuming 600ml coffee per day in combination with placebo were compared with the effects of consuming 600 ml per day in combination with a folic acid supplement (200ug per day). It was concluded that supplementation with 200ug of folic acid eliminates the tHcy increasing effect of 600ml of filtered coffee. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;57 (11):1411-7. Associated with decreased homocysteine? Hyperhomocysteinemia is a frequent finding after cardiac transplantation, but increased folate intake induces a decrease in total homocysteine concentrations. In 1998, food in Canada was fortified nationwide with folic acid. A study assessed the impact of routine folate fortification on homocysteine concentrations in our cardiac transplant population. In 18 subjects, they measured total homocysteine (tHcy), serum folate, and cobalamin concentrations in 1997 (before folate fortification) and in 1998 (after fortification). They repeated the analysis after specific multivitamin supplementation for 10 weeks. National folate fortification was associated with decreased tHcy and increased folate concentrations in the cardiac transplant population. Additional administration of vitamin supplements induced a further decrease in tHcy and an increase in folate. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2004 Apr;23(4):405-12 |