Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Product with added vitamin or derivative thereof for...
Patent
1998-07-31
1999-12-07
Pratt, Helen
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Product with added vitamin or derivative thereof for...
426549, 426801, 426807, 514258, 544261, A23L 1302
Patent
active
059979151
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of nutrition, and more specifically to food and vitamin preparations containing the natural isomer of reduced folates.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The folates are ubiquitous to nearly all forms of life. Humans and many other animals lack the capacity to make their own folate which thus is an essential vitamin, one type of essential nurient. Anemia especially during pregnancy and in the geriatric population was an early indication of a dietary requirement for folate. A major function of folate is to remove one-carbon units from molecules being metabolized and then deliver them to molecules being synthesized. As an example. folate participates in the formation of the nucleic acids. Further, the activity of DNA is controlled, in part, by methylation, and the primary methylating agent of the body (S-adenosylmethionine) is made in a metabolic cycle involving a folate. Many studies have, therefore, focused on the relationship of folate status to cancer susceptibility, especially colorectal adenoma.
The importance of folate to proper growth is clearly evident in the occurrence of neural tube defects in newborn infants. Reports from several countries have shown that a majority of such cases are associated with low folate levels in the mother. The incidence of these defects as well as of cleft lip/palate is considerably reduced when women are given folic acid (I) starting early in pregnancy. Recently, a significant correlation has been discovered between vitamin deficiency, especially of folate, and peripheral vascular disease, a major cause of death. A high percentage of individuals with this affliction have abnormal blood levels of homocysteine, a precursor to methionine in the folate dependent step of the S-adenosylmethonine cycle. Folate deficiency has also been linked to defective maturation of a number of different cell types, to nervous system disorders, and to decreased immune response.
The clear relation of folate intake to health has caused many governmental agencies around the world (such as the U.S. National Reasearch Council) to specify a recommended dietary allowance ("RDA") for folate. In the U.S. these values are used by the Food and Drug Administration to establish the Reference Daily Intake ("RDI") that is listed on food labels, currently 0.4 mg for adults. The highest daily amount of folic acid recommended by a country is 2.0 mg for healthy adults. Many products are available that contain RDI or near RDI levels of folic acid (I) including most daily multiple vitamins. These can be purchased in solid (eg. tablet, capsule, or powder) or in liquid formulations, both over-the-counter and by prescription. In the U.S. folic acid (I) is also available by itself typically at a dosage of 0.4 mg, but also up to 0.8 mg in health food stores. Many complete diets, infant diets, dietary supplements and weight loss products also contain folic acid (I). In some countries folic acid is added to specific food types as determined by health officials to provide adequate folate to the general population without risking excess consumption. Many breakfast foods, such as cereals, cereal bars, breakfast drink mixes, breakfast bars and toaster pastries have folic acid (I) added at a modest fraction of the RDI, typically 10-50% of the adult value per serving. In many of these uses the folic acid (I) is accompanied by other vitamins, sometimes at RDI dosages, but also at lower or much higher levels. Frequently, though not always, essential mineral nutrients are also present. Further, many products also include compounds hypothesized to have health related value, but which either have not been officially recognized as effective, or for which optimal amounts have not been set. Products such as those described above are meant to fill an important and wide spread need for folate, especially among those whose dietary habits would otherwise preclude intake of a sufficient amount of this vitamin.
Folic acid (I) is a component of many animal and pet foo
REFERENCES:
patent: 1431525 (1922-10-01), Hoffman
patent: 2052219 (1936-08-01), Dickens
patent: 3833739 (1974-09-01), Pedersen et al.
patent: 4753926 (1988-06-01), Lucas et al.
patent: 4834987 (1989-05-01), Lembke et al.
patent: 5006655 (1991-04-01), Muller et al.
patent: 5118505 (1992-06-01), Koltringer
patent: 5563126 (1996-10-01), Allen et al.
patent: 5624686 (1997-04-01), Shimoda et al.
IMSWorld database accession No. 94:61435 Druglaunch (1994).
Brown, J.P., et al., Gastroenterology 64(2):223-232 (1973).
Colman, N., et al., Am J Clin Nutr 28:459-464 (1975).
Gregory, J.F. et al., Am J Clin Nutr 55:1147-1153 (1992).
O'Broin, J.D., et al., Am J Clin Nutr 28:438-444 (1975).
Perry, J. and Chanarin, I., Br J Haemo 18:329-339 (1970).
Tamura, T. and Stokstad, E.L.R., Br J. Haemo 25:513-532 (1973).
Ayling June E.
Bailey Steven W.
Pratt Helen
South Alabama Medical Science Foundation
LandOfFree
Compositions for human and animal consumption containing reduced does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Compositions for human and animal consumption containing reduced, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Compositions for human and animal consumption containing reduced will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-820927