USA Rice Federation Partners with National Council on Folic Acid to Promote National Folic Acid Awar...( ARLINGTON Va. Jan. 5 /- Just in time ...),Health

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for National Folic Acid Awareness Week (January 5-11) and January's Birth Defects Prevention Month, USA Rice Federation has teamed up with the National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA) to help spread the word about the importance of folic acid for good health, and to help Americans identify simple steps to boost their intake, such as consuming enriched rice.

Research shows that folic acid, a form of the water-soluble B-vitamin folate found in fortified foods and supplements, offers protection against birth defects, heart disease, certain cancers and Alzheimer's disease. Yet many Americans, including one in three women, fall short of the 400 micrograms recommended for daily intake by the US Public Health Service.

"We are excited to be working with the National Council on Folic Acid to help to increase awareness about the importance of folic acid, and to offer rice as a nutritious, cost-effective, and tasty way to help adults and children meet recommended intakes," says Anne Banville, vice president of domestic promotion, USA Rice Federation, a member organization of the NCFA. "NCFA's programs ensure that people know the many benefits folic acid can offer throughout the life cycle... We hope that the information we provide about the nutritious goodness of rice as a meal-time solution will help Americans meet their needs of this important vitamin."

Just 1 cup of cooked enriched rice delivers 92 of the daily recommended 400 micrograms, or 23% of the Daily Value (DV). Rice, the grain that nourishes half of the world's population, also contributes over 15 essential nutrients to the diet, and is especially rich in B-vitamins, potassium, magnesium, selenium (brown), fiber (brown) and iron.

"As a coalition committed to improve health by promoting folic acid, we are pleased to have the support of the USA Rice Federation," says Adriane K. Griffen,
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