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