Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE)
Unit expressing folate intake adjusted for the higher bioavailability of synthetic folic acid relative to food folate: 1 μg DFE = 1 μg food folate = 0.6 μg folic acid taken with food = 0.5 μg folic acid taken on an empty stomach.
Also: DFE
DFEs are the basis of folate DRIs (400 μg DFE/d adult RDA; 600 μg DFE/d in pregnancy). Mandatory folic acid fortification of enriched cereal grain products in the US since 1998 has reduced neural tube defects by ~25-50% and largely eliminated overt folate deficiency. Unmetabolized folic acid in plasma at high intakes is biologically active and of unclear long-term significance, motivating the 1,000 μg/d adult UL.
How one textbook covers it
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 12th ed. — Ch 26: Folate
DFEs are the basis of folate DRIs (400 μg DFE/d adult RDA; 600 μg DFE/d in pregnancy). Mandatory folic acid fortification of enriched cereal grain products in the US since 1998 has reduced neural tube defects by ~25-50% and largely eliminated overt folate deficiency. Unmetabolized folic acid in plasma at high intakes is biologically active and of unclear long-term significance, motivating the 1,000 μg/d adult UL.
Related terms
Folate, Folic acid, Neural tube defects