Vitamin C and folate in hereditary fructose intolerance patients
What it found
In 32 people with hereditary fructose intolerance, most had vitamin C and folate intakes below recommended levels, and vitamin C deficiency was common, especially in those not taking supplements.
What they found
Studies in people
Low dietary intake
Among the patients, 96.7% had vitamin C intake and 90% had folate intake below the recommended population reference intake. Vitamin C intake was much lower in patients than controls.
Vitamin C deficiency
Overall, 15.6% of patients had vitamin C deficiency. Among patients not taking vitamin C supplements, 30% were deficient, compared with 3.1% of healthy controls.
Folate deficiency rare
Only one patient had folate deficiency. Patients not taking folic acid supplements had lower folate levels than controls and supplemented patients.
Supplement use varied
69% of patients took vitamin C and 50% took folic acid supplements, but the doses and types varied widely. No control subjects took either supplement.
Supplement dose matters
Higher vitamin C supplement doses were linked to higher blood levels. Patients taking single vitamin C supplements took more than those taking multivitamins.
What the authors conclude
“Our results provide evidence for the first time supporting vitamin C supplementation in HFI.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say their results provide the first evidence supporting vitamin C supplementation in patients with hereditary fructose intolerance.
- They advise that supplementation should provide at least the recommended dietary reference values and that vitamin status should be monitored regularly.
- They call for further research to establish optimal doses of vitamin C and the need for folic acid supplementation in these patients.
How it was done
People with hereditary fructose intolerance must follow a lifelong diet low in fructose, sucrose and sorbitol, which may put them at risk of vitamin deficiencies. The authors wanted to assess vitamin C and folate status and supplementation practices in these patients.
They studied 32 people with hereditary fructose intolerance and 32 healthy controls matched for age and sex. They measured vitamin C and folate levels in the blood, dietary intake over 3 days, and supplement use.
What it can’t tell you
- This study looked at people at one point in time, so it cannot show whether low vitamin C levels cause other health problems.
- The number of patients was small, so the findings may not apply to all people with hereditary fructose intolerance.
- The study did not check whether patients actually took the supplements as prescribed.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain; Río Hortega University Hospital, Spain; Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Spain
The paper
- Title
- Vitamin C and folate status in hereditary fructose intolerance
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Cano A, Alcalde C, Belanger-Quintana A, et al (2022). Vitamin C and folate status in hereditary fructose intolerance. European journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.1038/s41430-022-01178-3Free full textPubMed 35854131DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error