(P29-014-20) Association Between Total Dairy and Individual Dairy Foods and Markers for Folate and Vitamin B12 status in the U.S. Population

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the association between the consumption of dairy foods with markers for folate and vitamin B₁₂ status in a nationally representative sample.

Methods: Dietary recall data and laboratory data for RBC folate (ng/mL), serum folate (ng/mL) and serum vitamin B₁₂ (pg/mL) from subjects 2+ years old participating in NHANES 2001-2016 were used (N = 61,234 after exclusions). Data were adjusted for age, gender and ethnicity and separate analyses were conducted for ages 2-8, 9-18 and 19+ years (y). Significant associations between quartiles of dairy intake and biomarkers of nutrient status were assessed at P < 0.05.

Results:

• Mean intakes of total dairy, milk, cheese and yogurt were 2.22, 1.56, 0.58 and 0.07 cup eq respectively for those 2-8 y; 2.14, 1.25, 0.84 and 0.03 cup eq respectively for those9-18 y and 1.63, 0.83, 0.72, 0.06 cup eq respectively for 19+ years old.


• Quartiles of total dairy intake were inversely associated with serum folate (β = -0.61) and positively associated with vitamin B₁₂ (β = 41.8) in 2-8 years old. Quartiles of total dairy intake were positively associated with RBC folate, serum folate and serum vitamin B₁₂ in both those 9-18 y (β = 5.32, 0.55 and 34.4, respectively) and 19+ y (β = 14.6, 0.74 and 19.5, respectively).


• Similar to total dairy, quartiles of milk intake were inversely associated with RBC folate (β = -8.79) and serum folate (β = -0.57), and positively associated with serum vitamin B₁₂ (β = 51.6) in those 2-8 y. Also, quartiles of milk intake were positively associated with RBC folate, serum folate and serum vitamin B₁₂ in those 9-18 y (β = 3.92, 0.83 and 38.8 respectively) and in those 19+ y (β = 8.68, 1.00 and 17.4 respectively).


• In contrast to milk and total dairy, quartiles of cheese intake were positively associated with RBC folate only in those 2-8 y (β = 8.40) and in those 19+ y (β = 9.24).


• Quartiles of yogurt intake were positively associated with RBC folate (β = 5.57) in those 2-8 y; with RBC folate (β = 11.9) and serum folate (β = 0.50) in those 9-18 y; and with RBC folate (β = 16.3), serum folate (β = 0.70) and serum vitamin B₁₂ (β = 16.3) in those 19+ y.

Conclusions: The results indicate that dairy foods are beneficially associated with RBC folate, serum folate and serum vitamin B₁₂.

Funding Sources: National Dairy Council