The benefits of folic acid have made

Sublingual Folic Acid, B-12, Biotin and B-6 While taking folic acid why not get some other power nutrients, too? This sublingual has biotin the gray hair and hair loss vitamin, B12 the energy and hair vitamin and B6.

all the news the last 10 years because it is now known it prevents birth defects. Even though Adelle Davis first reported that it prevented birth defects way back in the 40's, it took the medical community years to pay attention. In 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration required the addition of folic acid to enriched breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice, and other grain products.

Since then more and more health benefits of folate have been found, largely insofar as it is able to keep levels of the amino acid homocysteine low.

Health Benefits of Folate

Folate is needed before pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects, which affect the brain and spinal cord because this defect occurs often before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

Folate and folic acid protect vascular health by keeping homocysteine levels in check. High levels of Homocysteine are a risk factor for atherosclerosis, blood clots and can harm blood vessels and therefore contribute to cardio vascular diseases. A study published in 2005 found that folate deficiency and high homocysteine levels promote DNA damage and increase brain injury after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

Folate appears to protect the brain, perhaps simply by its homocysteine-checking activity. A 2005 study of 300 men found that higher dietary and blood folate levels appeared to protect against a decline in 2 factors of cognitive function. People with high homocysteine levels have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's as people with adequate homocysteine-checking folate (2002).

Folate is necessary for iron absorption, to prevent anemia.

Years ago I had all the symptoms of an iron deficiency - sleeping 14 hours a night, not recovering from colds, tired all the time, and a low iron count. Surprisingly, the doctor said it was folic acid I needed. Both are necessary for healthy red blood cells which get oxygen to all of your tissues. She said that a lot of women have trouble absorbing folate from food. I think it's most likely a problem of folate being so difficult to find in sufficient quantity in foods. We probably aren't eating enough of the folate-rich foods. Below is a list of good food sources.

Beans, beans really are good for the heart - and the veins and the brain, too - because of their rich supply of folate!

Good Food Sources of Folic Acid and Folate - and Some for Comparison (Eat Your Asparagus or Juice It!)

• 2 oz of wheatgerm cereal (kretschmer) - 330 mcg
• 1 cup lentils, cooked drained 358 mcg
• 1 cup fresh cooked asparagus 262 mcg
• 1 cup frozen cooked drained asparagus 243 mcg
• 1 cup canned drained asparagus 232 mcg
• 1 cup cooked drained kidney beans 230 mcg
• 1 cup canned drained kidney beans 92 mcg (! Look how much we lose in canning! B vitamins are fragile.)
• 1 cup frozen,cooked, drained spinach 204
• 2 small raw beets (for juice)- 180 mcg
• 1 cup cooked drained fresh mature lima beans 156 mcg
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, dryroasted 150 mcg.
• 1 cup canned pinto beans 144 mcg
• 1 cup of Orange juice fresh-squeezed - 74 mcg
• 1 cooked artichoke, 61 mcg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds dry roasted, 65 mcg
• 1/2 cup frozen peas cooked drained, 47 mcg
• 1 cup frozen cooked drained fordhook lima beans 34 mcg
• 1/2 cup peanuts dry roasted 34 mcg
• 1/2 cup pistachios dry roasted, 32 mcg
• 1 large hardboiled egg 22 mcg
• 1 cup mushroom pieces - 11 mcg
• 6 oz filet mignon - 14 mcg
• 1 medium apple - 6 mcg

Symptoms of Deficiency

Lentils 1 cup - 358 mcg - almost the RDA!

Symptoms of folic acid deficiency are similar to those of iron deficiency:

• Shortness of breath and dizziness.
• Not enough red inside the eyelid.
• angina, headache and leg pains
• a red, irritated and possibly shiny, tongue.
• a reduced sense of taste.
• indigestion.
• changed bowel movements and often diarrhea

Requirement of Folic Acid

The RDA is 400 mcg a day, but like the B-vitamins, folic acid is not stored well. It needs to be replenished constantly.

Conclusions of Fascinating Studies on Folate, Folic Acid - Read the entire text at http://vvv.com/healthnews/folate.html

Tidbits:

People who already have cancer should not increase folate. Some evidence indicates that high folate levels may accelerate tumor growth. 1999

More than 373 mg a day of folate cuts pancreatic cancer risk in half.

Folate supplementation of 800 mcg a day, double the RDA, lowers homocysteine levels.

Supplements of with 5 MG - that's 5000 mcg - of folic acid decreases endothelial dysfunction, coronary artery disease.

Even 300 mg. a day of added vitamin C increased folic acid stores in a Boston study.

Harvard researchers found that a high folic acid/folate intake reduced colon polyp risk by 35%

Niacin has always been a favorite of heart patients but now folic acid seems to help atrial fibrillation as well.