Making up for mother nature: folic acid
What if I told you that according to an authoritative government survey, there is an essential nutrient which is deficient in the diets of 8% to 23% of normal healthy Brits – but which can influence their risk of heart disease, some types of cancer and depression Furthermore a deficiency of the same nutrient iin an expectant mother can have a profound effect upon her unborn child. The nutrient is?Of course , the B group vitamin folic acid. Humble forgotten folic acid was discovered in the 1940s as an anti-anaemia preparation, However it is only in the last fifteen years that its relevance to other health problems has been apparent, Over the same period nutritional surveys have shown that our intake is surprising low compared to the recommended levels.
Good food sources are all green leafy vegetables (the name was derived from foliage) liver, fortified breakfast cereals, potatoes, meat and some fruits, especially orange .It is easily destroyed by cooking , especially if food is over heated or cooked for a prolonged period of time Processed foods including pasta, noodles, chocolate bars , crisps, white bread and rice are virtually devoid of it.
Folic acid was initially thought only to be of important in connection with neutral tube defects: spina bifida and anencephaly. Folic acid is vital for the growth and proper development of the nervous system in the foetus from four weeks of life onwards.
Mothers who have given birth to children with neural defects are most likely to be deficient than those who have not. Supplements will help to prevent 50% or more of such outcomes. In the last two years it has also become apparent that about 11% of the population of Europe metabolise this vitamin in a subtly altered way which unbeknownst to them, increase their need for it. This genetic trait, combined with a poor intake, explains the need for wide spread folic acid supplementation.
In 1992 the Department of Health Recommendation read more
