Posts tagged with ‘folate’

  • Nov182018

    why i don’t take a folic acid supplement

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    One of my readers recently asked me if I have taken a folic acid supplement throughout all my pregnancies and the answer will probably surprise you. I have talked about this topic before in my post on supplements, but I figured I would go a little more into depth for those of you interested. Folate is found in plants. Folic acid is the synthetic form, and is chemically different than folate, is found in supplements and fortified foods and is twice as absorbable by the human body compared to natural folate. Folate is essential in the folding of the neural tube which is a precursor to the brain and central nervous system in a growing embryo. This happens in the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, probably before you even know you are pregnant, which is why it is so important to have adequate intake prior to pregnancy. As most of you probably know, insufficient folate can have devastating effects on a pregnancy, leading to birth defects. However, synthetic folic acid, found in most prenatal and multi-vitamin supplements is linked to increased risk of breast and colon cancers. A 2011 meta-analysis of six folic acid supplementation trials found that the incidence of cancers was 21 percent higher in the folic acid supplementation groups than control groups.

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  • May042017

    shaved asparagus salad

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    One of the very first spring vegetables to emerge on the east coast is one of my favorites, asparagus! One cup of asparagus provides you with 100% DV of vitamin K and 67% DV of folate, both super important for women who want to become pregnant or are pregnant. It’s also an excellent source of copper, vitamin B1, selenium, vitamin B2, vitamin C and vitamin E. Asparagus is sensitive to heat so to get the most nutrition out of it, it’s best to eat it raw or steam it only for a few minutes. The first time I heard of shaving asparagus and eating it raw was probably six years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since!

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