EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to folate and maintenance of normal blood pressure (ID 176) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a list of health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. This opinion addresses the scientific substantiation of health claims in relation to folate and maintenance of normal blood pressure. The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by the Member States in the consolidated list of Article 13 health claims and references that EFSA has received from Member States or directly from stakeholders. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is folate. The Panel considers that folate is sufficiently characterised. The claimed effect is “cardiovascular health”. The target population is assumed to be the general population. In the context of the proposed wordings, the Panel assumes that the claimed effect relates to the maintenance of normal blood pressure. The Panel considers that maintenance of normal blood pressure is a beneficial physiological effect. In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that no human intervention studies from which conclusions could be drawn on an effect of folate intake on blood pressure were provided, and that two large prospective cohort studies which addressed the association between folate intake and incident hypertension in women had substantial weaknesses as the incidence of hypertension was self-reported and folate intake data (from diet and supplements) were collected by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that a cause and effects relationship has not been established between the dietary intake of folate and maintenance of normal blood pressure.