Figure 3

Mean incremental changes in plasma folate concentrations between tablet and powdered supplements. Mean (± SEM) changes in plasma folate concentrations in pregnant subjects over 8 hours after administration of either 1000 μg folic acid in the traditional tablet supplement or 600 μg folic acid in the powdered supplement sprinkled over a standard meal. n = 18. There was no significant difference in the area under the folate absorption curve in the tablet supplement (248.7 ± 140.2 nmol·h/L) when compared to the folic acid in the powdered supplement (271.8 ± 110.9 nmol·h/L). The data were analyzed with the use of mixed-model repeated measures with age, gestational age, ferritin concentration and parity as fixed effects and subject as the repeated effect. The pair-wise differences of least-square means of the treatments were tested with the use of Tukey-Kramer P value adjustments.