Off limits

Q: If the large doses of folic acid you recommend are safe, why do all the supplements come in smaller doses?

Dr. Wright: Even though folic acid is extremely safe, los Federales have limited over-the- counter supplement dosages to 400 or 800 micrograms since the 1940s.

Their reasoning for limiting the doses is based on the fact that large doses of folic acid can potentially interfere with one type of test for vitamin B12 deficiency -- regardless of the fact that there are other easily available tests for B12 deficiency that aren't affected by larger doses of folic acid. But instead of encouraging medical schools to educate physicians, the government decided to regulate folic acid doses to minimal does. And now you're paying the price -- literally.

It's perfectly legal (and perfectly safe) to take the doses I recommended, but if you choose a formula other than the high-dose ones I've mentioned in the past (available from natural medicine physicians and through compounding pharmacies with a prescription), it may mean you'll have to buy folic acid supplements more frequently and take a larger number of capsules every day.

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