Get rich quick Q: I notice that you recommend taking large amounts of folic acid. Aren't a lot of products enriched with this nutrient, though? If I eat those, do I need to take a separate supplement? JVW: Los Federales finally got around to requiring folic acid "enrichment" of refined grain products a few years ago. But even so, I still see three to five patients a week who have an outright folate deficiency. Obviously, adding it to packaged foods simply isn't enough to do the job. But then, a federal "enrichment" program is just like a federal tax refund: They take away a lot, waste most of it, give you back a tiny bit, and you're supposed to be happy about it. In this case, though, there's nothing to be happy about: A lack of folate raises your risks of cancer, heart and blood vessel disease, depression, dementia, and having children with birth defects. Fortunately, folate deficiency is easy and inexpensive to diagnose and easy to prevent or correct -- without government "help." Adding more food sources of folate to your diet is a good start. In general, anything green -- not just the leafy items -- is a good source. Beans, nuts, and wheat germ are also good options. Liver (from organically raised animals, of course) is one of the very best sources, along with other organ meats, oysters, salmon, and brewer's yeast. Now for the quid pro qu These foods are all good sources, if they are eaten absolutely fresh and raw. (And yes, technically, that includes even the liver and beans.) You see, folate breaks down rapidly: After picking, just 24-48 hours in storage reduces the folate content of any vegetable by more than 50 percent. And both freezing and heating destroy even more folate -- in some cases up to 90 percent. But if you're not into raw liver (and most people aren't) or uncooked beans, you'll just need to accept the reduction in folate content caused by cooking. However, even after they've been cooked, there's still enough to make these foods worthwhile sources, and eating your liver and beans cooked is still a better idea than not eating them at all. But if you really want to maximize the folate content in the rest of your foods, it's best to eat them as fresh and raw as possible. For all you aspiring gardeners out there, look at this as the perfect opportunity to try your hand at planting and harvesting your own crops of spinach, green beans, peppers, and other folate-rich vegetables. But, at least partly due to its tendency to break down very easily, researchers have discovered that using folic acid as a supplement is actually more effective than dietary sources of folate alone, which is why I recommend that everyone include folic acid in their daily supplement regimen. For more details on folic acid, refer back to the August 2004 issue of Nutrition & Healing. |
