[tri-med] Re: folic acid

----- Original Message -----
From: "Judith Wolpert"
> kam's ped said she is low on folic acid.  we now have a tablet to crush
and tube.  does anyone else know what low folic acid causes?

My knowledge of Folic Acid isn't great. But for what its worth...........
Its a vitamin - Vitamin B9 to be exact. Not a lot is known about it. Its
water soluble so we lose a lot when we cook our vegetables because it
dissolves in the water. (Save the water we cook our vegetables in and you
keep it) So I doubt that there would be a lot in flax seed oil - I could be
wrong though.

Its high in green leafy vegetables (eg spinach and broccoli) and its one of
those odd vitamins thats actually higher in the vegetable if you store them
for a few days rather than really fresh. (eg pick spinach straight from the
garden and its high in folate, keep it in the fridge for a couple of days
and its higher still)

Its big claim to fame was being identified as a contributing factor to
neural tube defects. Hence the reason that its added to a lot of foods eg
breakfast cereals, and why pregnant women are encouraged to take supplements
BEFORE they fall pregnant.

It helps prevents neural tube defects because it aids in the production of
proteins, cell division and the making and replication of DNA and metabolism
in general. Its also needed to make red blood cells (hence the anemia
connection) but, taking large supplements can actually mask some forms of
anemia so be careful. It aids digestion and increases appetite (that may be
a plus for Kam)

You need Folic Acid (B9) to make vitamins B12 and Vitamin C work in our
bodies. So you can take B12 supplements and they wont help a lot if you are
low in B9, same as Vitamin C supplements aren't effective if you are low in
zinc. Hence the reason that they tell you take vitamin supplements with
food - you need all the other trace elements to make them all work.

At the moment they are saying that the synthetic forms of folate are better
absorbed than the natural forms. But I think I will still be giving Alex his
4 pureed spinach leaves every night. I do it for the lutein for his light
sensitivity and he gets the added "extras" like folate and fibre for
constipation.

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history
is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the
lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny
ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of
energy and daring those ripples build a current which can weep down the
mightiest walls of oppression and injustice."
- Robert F. Kennedy -

Keep Looking for Rainbows!!!
Karen, Mum to Alex (8, T-18 mosaic)
Sydney, Australia
http://members.optushome.com.au/karens
http://www.trisomyonline.org

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
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