Variable | Control group (n = 22) | Food folate group (n = 21) | Folic acid group (n = 19) | P value |
Age (y) | 22 ± 4 | 23 ± 7 | 21 ± 1 | 0.174 |
BMI (kg/m2) | 23.7 ± 3 | 24.1 ± 5 | 23.6 ± 3 | 0.938 |
Energy intake (MJ/d)* | 9.4 ± 1.5 | 8.8 ± 2.3 | 9.2 ± 1.4 | 0.264 |
Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 12 ± 1.1 | 11 ± 1.5 | 12 ± 1.2 | 0.261 |
Hematocrit (%) | 40 ± 3.5 | 38 ± 5.4 | 40 ± 4.1 | 0.703 |
Blood glucose fasting (mg/dl) | 91 ± 7.3 | 93 ± 9.5 | 92 ± 7.6 | 0.857 |
GOT-AST (U/L) | 20 ± 8.9 | 21 ± 7 | 19 ± 5.5 | 0.574 |
GPT-ALT (U/L) | 20 ± 6.5 | 22 ± 8.9 | 18 ± 5.5 | 0.210 |
GGT (U/L) | 15 ± 4.5 | 19 ± 11 | 16 ± 4.8 | 0.227 |
Folate Intake (µg/d)**** | 204 ± 38 | 195 ± 50 | 220 ± 30 | 0.353 |
Intervention dose (µg/d) | 0 | 250** | 500*** | ---- |
Plasma vitamin B-12 (pmol/L ) | 371 ± 107 | 324 ± 72 | 331 ± 121 | 0.135 |
Erythrocyte folate (nmol/L) | 694 ± 246 | 630 ± 177 | 614 ± 154 | 0.5219 |
Plasma folate (nmol/L) | 21 ± 5 | 22 ± 3 | 22 ± 3 | 0.5592 |
Plasma total homocysteine (µmol/L) | 8.4 ± 2.3a | 10.7 ± 2.0b | 9.3 ± 2.3a,b | 0.05 |