ABSTRACT
A Mediterranean dietary pattern is used increasingly for weight management as it supplies all the nutrients necessary to help ensure healthy weight loss when consumed in moderate amounts. Traditional Mediterranean-style dietary patterns rarely contained nutritional supplements, if any. Pills and other dietary supplements contain only one, or at best, several vitamins, minerals, or phytomolecules compared to the hundreds of beneficial ones that are found in foods, especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Folate is the naturally occurring form in food; folic acid is the synthetic form used in fortified foods and dietary supplements. The best sources of naturally occurring folate come from legumes and many green vegetables, while cereals tend to have the highest levels within fortified foods. The body uses folate to help produce DNA and RNA, both critical for forming healthy new cells. The recommended intake for most adult men and non-pregnant women is 400 micrograms per day.
