Ajcn29652 353..358

Background: Total folate intake includes naturally occurring food folate and folic acid from fortified foods and dietary supplements. Recent reports have focused on total folate intakes of persons aged 14 y. Information on total folate intakes of young children, however, is limited. Objective: The objective was to compute total folate and total folic acid intakes of US children aged 1–13 y by using a statistical method that adjusts for within-person variability and to compare these intakes with the Dietary Reference Intake guidelines for adequacy and excess. Design: Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, were analyzed. Total folate intakes were derived by combining intakes of food folate (naturally occurring and folic acid from fortified foods) on the basis of 24-h dietary recall results and folic acid intakes from dietary supplements on the basis of a 30-d questionnaire. Results: More than 95% of US children consumed at least the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for folate from foods alone. More than one-third (35%) of US children aged 1–13 y used dietary supplements, and 28% used dietary supplements containing folic acid. Supplement users had significantly higher total folate and folic acid intakes than did nonusers. More than half (53%) of dietary supplement users exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for total folic acid (fortified food + supplements) as compared with 5% of nonusers. Conclusions: Total folate intakes of most US children aged 1–13 y meet the EAR. Children who used dietary supplements had significantly higher total folate intakes and exceeded the UL by .50%. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;92:353–8.