Uses for food and vitamin preparations containing the natural isomer of reduced folates

A method for reducing a female's risk of having a miscarriage and/or of having a fetus with a neural tube defect, a cleft lip defect, and/or a cleft palate defect, said method comprising administering, to the female, prior to and/or during pregnancy, a composition which comprises:

• one or more natural isomers of reduced folate selected from the group consisting of (6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5-methyl-(6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5-formyl-(6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 10-formyl-(6R)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5,10-methylene-(6R)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5,10-methenyl-(6R)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5-formimino-(6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid, and polyglutamyl derivatives thereof;
• and
• a nutritional substance selected from the group consisting of a food preparation, an essential nutrient preparation, and combinations thereof;
• wherein, when the nutritional substance is a food preparation, the food preparation comprises two or more food components and each gram of said food preparation has a natural molar amount, N, of said one or more natural isomers of reduced folate, wherein N is greater or equal to zero and wherein each gram of said composition has a total molar amount, T, of said one or more natural isomers of reduced folate greater than N;
• wherein, when the nutritional substance is an essential nutrient preparation, the essential nutrient preparation comprises a vitamin other than ascorbic acid.