Increased Plasma Homocyst(e)ine after Withdrawal of Ready-to-Eat Breakfast Cereal from the Diet: Prevention by Breakfast Cereal Providing 200 μg Folic Acid

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that cessation of habitual ingestion of breakfast cereals would be associated with elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine concentrations. We anticipated that those subjects who reported consuming breakfast cereals containing 100 to 400 μg of folic acid per serving before entering the study would achieve higher plasma homocyst(e)ine concentrations if, in addition to their regular diet, they began ingesting a daily serving of breakfast cereal that contained less than 10 μg of folic acid per serving. Design: Seventy-nine subjects consumed a daily serving of breakfast cereal containing either <10 μg or folic acid per serving (placebo) or breakfast cereal containing 200 μg of folic acid per serving (folic acid fortified). Results: Cessation of intake of commercially available breakfast cereal was associated with homocyst(e)ine elevation. Breakfast cereal containing 200 μg folic acid per day was sufficient to maintain the homocyst(e)ine lowering effects of commercial cereals. Conclusions: Habitual consumption of commercially available fortified breakfast cereals, usually containing 100 to 400 μg folic acid per serving, had significant homocyst(e)ine-lowering effects as shown by the homocyst(e)ine increase after cessation of habitual intake of commercial breakfast cereal. Substitution of breakfast cereal containing only 200 μg folic acid per day was sufficient to maintain the homocyst(e)ine-lowering effects of commercial cereals.