But, in 1989, the board cut that amount in half. Other researchers have found that homocysteine, our new old friend spoken about earlier, increases when people drop below 400 mcg of Folic Acid per day, Hopkins said. In addition, breakfast cereals can add Folic Acid up to the 400 mcgs. per serving. These amounts are designed to keep daily intake of folic acid below 1 mg, because intakes above that amount may mask symptoms of pernicious anemia in persons who don't absorb vitamin B-12 efficiently. It may well mask megaloblastic anemia in pregnant women as well.
Pernicious anemia can lead to severe permanent nerve damage.
The main reason cereals are targeted so strongly is that nearly 90 percent of the population eats a cereal grain product at least once a day, and according to the American Institute of Baking, cereal grains account for about 26 percent of the total calorie daily consumption. Already, the food industry is having problems with fortifying the foods with Folic Acid. Pasta makers sought a delay in the implementation of Folic Acid fortification, saying that millions of dollars in inventory would be lost. The FDA denied the request. There are also problems in the baking industry with fortification.