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Dark leafy greens are also a good source of folate, as are legumes such as lentils and chickpeas. Other sources include the following:• 1/2 cup cooked lentils: 179 mcg• 1 cup boiled collard greens: 177 mcg• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas: 141 mcg• 1 medium papaya: 115 mcg• 1 cup cooked frozen peas: 94 mcg• 4 spears steamed or boiled asparagus: 88 mcg• 1/2 cup steamed broccoli: 52 mcg• 1 cup strawberries: 40 mcg• 1 medium orange: 39 mcg SuziTataindi <tataindi@...> wrote: Hello, Would anyone please tell me what are the best sources of folic acid? Thanks, tat Suzi What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. health/ http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/ http://360./suziesgoats

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Ya' know, the collard greens are very good in a green smoothie. And chickpeas are delicious sprouted and made into a raw hummus and it goes without saying peas, asparagus and broccoli is great right out of the garden, don't kill them with steam or boiling water.

Glad they didn't tell you to microwave the oranges or the strawberries!!

Shari

• 1/2 cup cooked lentils: 179 mcg• 1 cup boiled collard greens: 177 mcg• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas: 141 mcg• 1 medium papaya: 115 mcg• 1 cup cooked frozen peas: 94 mcg• 4 spears steamed or boiled asparagus: 88 mcg• 1/2 cup steamed broccoli: 52 mcg• 1 cup strawberries: 40 mcg• 1 medium orange: 39 mcg

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  • 3 months later...
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Hi ,

My son has apraxia, and we give him Folic Acid.He gets

1 dropper everyday. It was given to him by our DAN Dr.

The brand is Design For Health. Super Liquid Folate.

Sue

Petruk <lesliep@...> wrote:

Do any of you give your child with speech delay Folic Acid? I just

met with a geneticist who is at a research center in which they have

some evidence that developmental delay (including autism) is related

to the over production or under production of methyll... (can't

remember the full name) on the X chromosome - but he said this could

potentially mean that folic acid/diet could help these children. He

is doing more research and we should know something more definitive

by the end of the year --- but I thought I remembered folks saying

they gave their children folic acid and saw an improvement in speech.

Also ---- if you do give Folic Acid, how much do you give?

Thanks for your help!

---------------------------------

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I have been curious about this. It stands to reason it may help since we

need it while pregnant. I was hoping for a food source. Anyone know what

foods are good for this?

Petruk wrote:

>Do any of you give your child with speech delay Folic Acid? I just

>met with a geneticist who is at a research center in which they have

>some evidence that developmental delay (including autism) is related

>to the over production or under production of methyll... (can't

>remember the full name) on the X chromosome - but he said this could

>potentially mean that folic acid/diet could help these children. He

>is doing more research and we should know something more definitive

>by the end of the year --- but I thought I remembered folks saying

>they gave their children folic acid and saw an improvement in speech.

>

>Also ---- if you do give Folic Acid, how much do you give?

>

>Thanks for your help!

>

>

>

>

>

>

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Petruk wrote:

> Do any of you give your child with speech delay Folic Acid?

<snipped>

There are undermethylators and overmethylators -- some kids tolerate

folic acid and some folinic acid and some neither one. This is a huge

and complex subject...too long to go into here. There is a Dr Amy Yasko

who offers testing (just takes 2 drops of blood from a finger prick)

which will tell you what supplements your child will react better to -

it takes several months to get the results back though....she has a

website and parents forum. There are also a lot of lectures,

presenations and videos at the ARI, AutismOne and AutismFair websites.

I know I'm just throwing out general info at this moment (which you can

Google), but only because I don't have time this evening to look up all

the specific web sites. I would also advise also consulting with a

DAN! practioner in your area - most are very up-to-date on all

this....probably more than your geneticist, it sounds like. We tried

folinic and then folic after our son was taking MB12 shots and both

folinic and folic left him very " spacey " ... so we weaned him off for now

(he still takes MB12). There were also other exams that we did with our

DAN! practioner to help better define the behavior of the kids' detox

systems and methylation cycles, etc. before starting the programs so

that we could move ahead with recommendations more specific to each

child...OATS, CDSAx2, blood tests. This is really a topic more vast

than " folic acid = talking " . Monkeying around with just the

folic/folinic without looking a the bigger picture may bring some other

behavioral changes and metabolic reactions that need to be monitored by

you along with a professional experienced in these treatments.

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Please, do not haphazardly dose folic acid without knowing what your

childs b12 status is. In the developmentally delayed/speech

delayed/autistic population, b12 deficiency, even if the blood levels

are high normal,(which may indicate a methylfolate trap) increasing

folic acid further masks unmetabolized b12 or masks a b12 deficiency.

Over fortification of Folic acid in foods, in recently published

studies perhaps is not a wise thing to do. For instance a particular

child eats mostly a processed carb diet, very little b12 from red

meat, that child is getting way too much folic acid if it is in every

food they eat. Folic acid is not a benign vitamin, a necessary one,

but not harmless if too much is used. Please exercise caution when

supplementing a child.

If speaking with this geneticist again, ask him does he test for

polymorphisms in the methylation pathway to determine if there are

issues in the methylation of folic acid, as giving plain folic acid

is NOT what you want to do here in that case.

>

> >Do any of you give your child with speech delay Folic Acid? I

just

> >met with a geneticist who is at a research center in which they

have

> >some evidence that developmental delay (including autism) is

related

> >to the over production or under production of methyll... (can't

> >remember the full name) on the X chromosome - but he said this

could

> >potentially mean that folic acid/diet could help these children.

He

> >is doing more research and we should know something more

definitive

> >by the end of the year --- but I thought I remembered folks saying

> >they gave their children folic acid and saw an improvement in

speech.

> >

> >Also ---- if you do give Folic Acid, how much do you give?

> >

> >Thanks for your help!

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

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What is a methylfolate trap? Both my kids, not autistic, came up with

elevated B12 before we went GFCFSF. I've been worried it will drop now

with no wheat. It sounds like you are saying that would not be bad???

mdautie wrote:

>Please, do not haphazardly dose folic acid without knowing what your

>childs b12 status is. In the developmentally delayed/speech

>delayed/autistic population, b12 deficiency, even if the blood levels

>are high normal,(which may indicate a methylfolate trap) increasing

>folic acid further masks unmetabolized b12 or masks a b12 deficiency.

>Over fortification of Folic acid in foods, in recently published

>studies perhaps is not a wise thing to do. For instance a particular

>child eats mostly a processed carb diet, very little b12 from red

>meat, that child is getting way too much folic acid if it is in every

>food they eat. Folic acid is not a benign vitamin, a necessary one,

>but not harmless if too much is used. Please exercise caution when

>supplementing a child.

>

>If speaking with this geneticist again, ask him does he test for

>polymorphisms in the methylation pathway to determine if there are

>issues in the methylation of folic acid, as giving plain folic acid

>is NOT what you want to do here in that case.

>

>

>>

>>

>>

>>>Do any of you give your child with speech delay Folic Acid? I

>>>

>>>

>just

>

>

>>>met with a geneticist who is at a research center in which they

>>>

>>>

>have

>

>

>>>some evidence that developmental delay (including autism) is

>>>

>>>

>related

>

>

>>>to the over production or under production of methyll... (can't

>>>remember the full name) on the X chromosome - but he said this

>>>

>>>

>could

>

>

>>>potentially mean that folic acid/diet could help these children.

>>>

>>>

>He

>

>

>>>is doing more research and we should know something more

>>>

>>>

>definitive

>

>

>>>by the end of the year --- but I thought I remembered folks saying

>>>they gave their children folic acid and saw an improvement in

>>>

>>>

>speech.

>

>

>>>Also ---- if you do give Folic Acid, how much do you give?

>>>

>>>Thanks for your help!

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

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  • 7 months later...



January 27, 2008

Folic acid's trade-offs of concern

By Desmon | Sun reporter

January 27, 2008

1

2

next

It was all about the babies. A decade ago, when the U.S. required flour, bread and pasta to be fortified with folic acid, health experts believed it would help prevent devastating birth defects such as spina bifida.There's no question that it worked. As many as 1,000 newborns a year in the United States - and many more elsewhere - have been spared so-called neural tube defects because their mothers got a crucial infusion of folic acid before they even knew they were pregnant.But now some scientists are asking whether there have been unforeseen trade-offs for the population as a whole - including thousands of additional colon cancer cases each year, a somewhat smaller bump-up in prostate cancer, and an increase in cognitive impairment among the elderly.

Folic Acid facts What it is: A member of the vitamin B family, folic acid is the synthetic form of the nutrient folate. Where it's found: Occurs naturally in green leafy vegetables, fruits and nuts. Found in fortified flours, breads and pasta. Highest concentrations are typically found in nutritional supplements. Known benefits: Prevention of birth defects such as spina bifida; also might prevent some cancers, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Suspected problems: Might accelerate development of pre-cancerous growths, particularly in the colon, into cancer. Also might increase rate of cognitive impairment in older people.

"The existing science at the time this decision was made showed the benefits and not any significant risk," said Dr. Mason, director of the Vitamins and Carcinogenesis Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University. "What has evolved is, there's an increasing level of concern that it might be harming some segments of the population."The renewed debate comes at a time when activists in the United States are pushing to increase the amount of folic acid in fortified foods, under the theory that if some is good, then more is better.It also comes as the United Kingdom has put on hold its effort to require folic acid fortification. Scientists there are considering new research suggesting a possible downside to adding folic acid to the national diet.Not everyone is convinced there even is a debate. The benefits of folic acid have been clearly proved, they say, and if anything, women of childbearing age need more folic acid than fortified foods provide. Proponents say that in addition to deterring birth defects, folic acid might prevent some cancers, strokes and cardiovascular disease.And any potential downsides, they argue, are unproven.Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said time will show that there are more benefits to folic acid than previously known - and not that it causes cancer.Though scientists don't fully understand how folic acid works, they believe that it assists in the formation of the building blocks of DNA, stimulating cell growth, preventing damage and helping DNA to replicate.In normal tissue, it helps cells to divide and grow and proliferate. In cells where cancer is just beginning, folic acid is believed to have the same effect - causing fast-growing cancer cells to reproduce even more rapidly.Chemically, folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a member of the vitamin B family. Green leafy vegetables, dried beans and nuts are among the foods naturally rich in folate. But before flour-based products were fortified, dietary supplements were among the only ways that women of child-bearing age could ensure an intake of 400 micrograms a day - the dosage believed to prevent birth defects.Not enough women did it on their own, which is why the U.S. turned to fortification. Today, some breakfast cereals alone contain 400 micrograms of folic acid per serving. Even so, the March of Dimes, a national advocacy group devoted to reducing birth defects, is considering petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to increase the amount of folic acid required in fortified foods.The concept of fortification isn't new. One of the earliest successful efforts was the addition of iodine to salt in 1924 to prevent goiter and other symptoms of severe iodine deficiency.Vitamin D was first added to milk in the 1930s to prevent rickets. When folic acid in flour and bread became mandatory in 1998, those staples had long been fortified with thiamin, niacin and riboflavin.Dr. Witter, a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at s Hopkins, said fortification isn't enough by itself. Some women still don't get the necessary folic acid. But he would not advocate an increase in fortification levels."We have to strike a balance," he said. "Even water, there's a downside for too much and a downside for too little. The fortification is probably at an adequate level. [but] you can't really count on any fortification process to completely correct a problem."A study published last summer by Tufts' Mason and his colleagues suggested a possible link between folic acid fortification and U.S. and Canadian colorectal cancer rates, which are no longer declining as quickly as they once were.Since the introduction of mandatory folic acid fortification in those two countries, an expected drop in colon cancer rates has shown an uptick, translating to as many as 15,000 extra cases of colon cancer in the U.S. annually and 1,500 in Canada - cases that researchers say might not have occurred without folic acid.Mason said that while his study is not definitive, its conclusions are not theoretical, either. In the 1940s, when leukemia patients got large doses of folic acid, their cancer growth accelerated. This prompted Dr. Sidney Farber and others to try antifolates for the treatment of childhood leukemia - now considered the birth of chemotherapy.

If there's a 10 percent chance that his concerns about folic acid are valid, Mason said, "I don't think we can afford to take that 10 percent chance." He said he doesn't think the U.S. should stop fortification until more evidence is collected, but that the United Kingdom should wait.Some folic acid researchers are starting to see the nutrient as a double-edged sword. When it's given to someone with no polyps or tumors, it might prevent their formation. But in patients with growths so small that they're undetectable, folic acid could speed up cancer development, said Dr. Cornelia Ulrich, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.By age 60, she said, about 30 percent of the population has polyps that could potentially grow faster with folic acid. "We've known for a while that cancer actually likes folate," she said. "There may be this dual effect."

Folic Acid facts What it is: A member of the vitamin B family, folic acid is the synthetic form of the nutrient folate. Where it's found: Occurs naturally in green leafy vegetables, fruits and nuts. Found in fortified flours, breads and pasta. Highest concentrations are typically found in nutritional supplements. Known benefits: Prevention of birth defects such as spina bifida; also might prevent some cancers, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Suspected problems: Might accelerate development of pre-cancerous growths, particularly in the colon, into cancer. Also might increase rate of cognitive impairment in older people.

Ulrich said she's not worried about current U.S. fortification levels because flour and pasta account for only a small percentage of the folic acid in many bodies.She is more concerned about supplements taken by older adults and by cancer patients. Fortified health bars and drinks can provide even more folic acid, adding up to potentially problematic levels."There can be groups who easily can have 1 milligram of folic acid a day, usually health-conscious people who think they are doing themselves good," she said.And while research is slim, she added, "there's reason to believe taking a folic acid supplement could do harm."Dr. Young-In Kim, a nutrition expert at the University of Toronto who has studied folic acid in animals, said fortification places too many people at risk. He wants to see large-scale fortification suspended while officials target young women with messages about getting enough folic acid."We need to carefully consider whether we've done the right thing," he said. "This was the largest human experiment ever done, putting the entire population of the U.S. and Canada on high doses of folic acid."Willett, the Harvard nutritionist, said it could take another decade or more for the impact of folic acid fortification to be known. But based on what is known, he is optimistic that the many upsides of folic acid will be affirmed."Given the overall picture, if there is any negative impact, it is counterbalanced by other positive trends," he said. "I think we've done something that overall is beneficial, and we won't know the full balance of benefits, or possible adverse effects, for many years. But overall the picture looks good."Still, he added, "Any time you do anything that's beneficial, you take some chance of unintended harm. Almost anything you do in a complex system - and human systems are complex - perturbs something else. Biology is very complicated. There are often unintended consequences, good and bad."stephanie.desmon@...

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My Rummy increased my MTX but did nothing with the Folic Acid. He also took

my anti-inflammatory because there was a small spike in my kidney function.

I really suffered for a long while, and finally had my tongue swell and

hurt. Someone from this list told me what the cause may be, so I called the

Rummy, and the nurse said, " Oh yeah, you need to take more Folic Acid " .

That's when I went from a Rummy to my original Rheumy. Within a couple of

months I was back to coping with life as I remembered it.Right now, I'm

taking 2-3 mg, and doing well with it. My opinion is that everybody taking

MTX must increase the Folic Acid.

Dennis in eastexas

[ ] Re: Doctor's appt

> When I was on MTX alone, I took 1 mg/daily of folic acid. Since

> adding enbrel I now take 5 mg daily of folic acid.

>

>

>>

>> well, after 2 weeks of having a cold I have phemonia and so does my

>> daughter so was told not to take my enbrel tomorrow and I already

>> hurt. After I take the course of antibotics for it then I'm allowed

> to

>> take it again. She is also putting me on MTX injections since the

>> pills made me sick the first time around. She is also putting me on

>> 1mg of folic acid a day. Is that the standard for being on the

>> injections?

>>

>>

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  • 1 year later...

I take 1200 mcg a day. My multivitamin has 400 mcg and I take 2 400

mcg tablets every day except Tuesday. I don't take it on the day I

take my methotrexate, just the 400 in the multivitamin.

Sharon

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  • 1 year later...

Can you elaborate on how testing is done for this mutation? Also, what is the

full name of the condition (i.e. what does MTHFR stand for?)? What kind of

methalated folate dosage (range, not exact) is needed for this condition - I'm

asking b/c I do give my son supplements that have folate in it, but what is a

therapeutic dose for the condition?

Thanks for the info on this!

Tatyana

[ ] folic acid

Hello All,

I wanted to pass along some information that has helped my daughter. My

daughter has verbal and motor dyspraxia, spd and some low muscle tone. At the

age of four she was using only a handful of words regularly, and had said maybe

30 words total.

For two years we have been giving her high quality fish oils, speech therapy,

OT, lots of play therapy, a gf/cf diet, and listening therapy. None of these

seemed to help her with her speech, though listening therapy and OT were

beneficial in other ways.

Five months ago her naturopath tested her for a genetic glitch called MTHFR

that interferes with the body processing folate. We put her on MTHF (methelated

folate)and words started coming within a week. Her progress has continued since

then and she is now putting three words together. The gene mutation is not that

uncommon, and there are health concerns that are related to it later in life,

but treatment is easy: taking folic acid... methelated folate is better.

I also should add that most doctors would see that she only has one faulty

marking (from one parent) and they would conclude that she's fine. But our

naturopath specializes in quirky kids and knows that this supplement can really

help.

Best wishes to you all,

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