Why Tortillas May Hold The Key To Healthier Babies

*Here’s why this is important: ” . . . studies suggest that fortifying corn masa with folic acid could prevent an additional 40 to 120 cases of neural tube defects among babies born to Hispanic mothers each year.” VL


texas_public_radio_logoBy Texas Public Radio

One of the great public-health success stories of the past couple of decades can be found in your cereal bowl.

Since 1998, the Food and Drug Administration has required that breakfast cereals, breads, rice, pasta and other grain products made with enriched flour come fortified with folic acid. When consumed by women before and during early pregnancy, this B vitamin plays a critical role in preventing severe brain and spinal cord defects. Thanks to mandatory fortification, the number of babies born in the U.S. with neural tube defects has dropped by roughly 35 percent — or about 1,300 babies a year — since the 1990s.

“The story of folic acid is one of the great public health stories of — ever,” says Dr. R.J. Berry, who works with the Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

But there’s one notable exception to this success story — Hispanic women — and researchers think the reason may lie in a staple of their diet: tortillas.

Click HERE to read the full story.


[Photo by CIMMYT/Flickr]

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