Folate, also know as vitamin B9 and B12, is derived from the food you enjoy.  It is also a critical, but undervalued health advocate to your basic lively hood.

Folate is crucial to proper cell growth. DNA and RNA, the building blocks of all our cells, rely on folate to develop properly, and it has been found to help prevent the changes in DNA that can lead to the development of cancerous cells. It also aids in the formation of red blood cells, which is necessary to avoid anemia.  Some might wonder why a CHIROPRACTOR might be interested in your folate intake but that is why we pride on ourselves on treating all of your symptoms and ensuring you feel your best.

Are you receiving enough folate?

This fundamental vitamin is responsible for aiding a number of body functions.  For instance, folate helps reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, aids in the proper functioning of your nerves through the synthesis of neurotransmitters, and helps prevent dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis-related bone fractures, just to name a few. Do you know anyone in your family who has suffered from these diseases? Always let your chiropractor or physician know.

 

 

 

Signs of folate deficiency include: insomnia, depression, irritability, muscle fatigue, sore tongue, diarrhea, gingivitis and mental fuzziness.

So what should you munch on regularly to stock up on Folate?  Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and collard greens; beans and legumes such as lentils and peas; and fruit and fruit juices, particularly tomato juice and orange juice are all packed with the vitamin. Liver is also an excellent source, and cooking it does not easily destroy its folate, which can be the case when cooking vegetables. To maintain the greatest amount of folate in your vegetables, either eat them raw or steam them.

 

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that adults get 400 mcg of folic acid every day, either through their diet or by taking a dietary supplement. If pregnant, that amount should be raised to 600 mcg daily, and 500 mcg every day for women who are breast feeding.

Folic acid plays a crucial role in a number of body functions, particularly in the proper development of the fetus from the first days of conception.  Therefore, physicians advise that all women of childbearing age take a regular folic acid supplement since 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, and as the neural tube, from which the infant’s nervous system will develop, is one of the first things to develop in a fetus. Often, by the time a woman realizes she is pregnant, much of that important development is already done. Women who are deficient in foliate risk giving birth to infants who are low in birth weight or due to neural tube defects have a spinal malformation, such as spinal bifida, or other neurological disorders. At CHICAGO CHIROPRACTIC we treat pregnant woman often and even infants, inquire more if you are interested in chiropractic care for your baby.

Folic acid is so important that it is one of the vitamins that the FDA requires be added to fortified foods such as bread, flour, breakfast cereals, pasta and rice. Since this requirement was enacted in 1998, the rate of neural tube defects has decreased 26%.

Just like your Grandma always said: “Eat your leafy green veggies” but also consider starting a vitamin B-12 supplement to reap the full benefits of foliate. Just like your chiropractor always said, make an appointment today!