for your
health
It’s a necessary
component of survival,
but is it the cure-all
some claim?
How much
folic?
By Abigail Cukier
IT SEEMS EVERY DAY there is a new report on the doctor, as too much folic acid can mask a vitamin B12
benefits of folic acid. deficiency that can lead to nerve damage.
Folic acid is the man-made form of folate, So, is folic acid the “magic bullet” to cure these
which naturally occurs in the body and some foods. many ills?
Folate is necessary for the production of red blood Schwartz warns that these findings, while hope-cells, tissue growth and cell function. ful, have yet to be proven with long-term studies.
Folic acid helps prevent birth defects of the However, though the jury is still out on the issue, she
neural tube—the part of the fetus that becomes the says it doesn’t hurt to be on the safe side: Eating a
brain and spinal cord. To prevent neural-tube healthy diet rich in citrus fruits, whole grains and
defects, fortification of bread, pasta, rice and cereals legumes—good sources of folic acid—is just plain
has been mandatory in the United States since 1998. good for your health.
Now, emerging research indicates the vitamin Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, chair of the American
may help prevent everything from depression and Heart Association’s nutrition committee, agrees: “If
Alzheimer’s disease to heart disease and colon cancer. you eat a diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains,
It has been found that folic acid lowers homo- lean meats and fish twice a week, you’ll meet your
cysteine, an amino acid in the blood. High homo- requirements for all the vitamins and minerals
cysteine levels are associated with a higher risk of every day.” C
heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting that increasing folate intake reduces the risk Abigail Cukier lives in Stoney Creek, Ontario. She is a
of these diseases. freelance writer with a special interest in health issues.
Health Canada
recommends these daily
intakes of folic acid:
1– 3 years old: 150 mcg
4– 8 years old: 200 mcg
9– 13 years old: 300 mcg
14 and over: 400 mcg
Pregnant women: 600 mcg
Lactating women: 500 mcg
Wherefore art thou, folic?
Leafy greens, citrus fruits,
tomatoes, peanuts and grain
products are good sources
of folic acid.
85 gm ( 3 oz.) cooked,
beef liver: 185 mcg
125 mL (1/2 cup) spinach:
100 mcg
125 mL (1/2) cup cooked
broccoli: 50 mcg
28 gm ( 1 oz.) peanuts: 40 mcg
175 mL (3/4 cup) orange
juice: 35 mcg
ARTICLE FEEDBACK
Other studies have indicated folic acid may
help protect against certain cancers. A 2003 Harvard
University study showed a high folic acid intake
reduced breast-cancer risk in women. It also
reduced the higher risk in those who drank more
than one alcoholic drink per day. And a 2002 study
in the International Journal of Cancer showed a relationship between the recommended folate intake
and a reduced risk of colon cancer in women.
Consulting dietitian Rosie Schwartz, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada,
says it is a good idea for people who eat out a lot or
don’t get enough fresh foods to take a multivitamin
containing 400 mcg of folic acid. “It should be
in addition to eating a variety of healthy foods. It
doesn’t take the place of the foods,” she says.
Dr. David Rosenblatt, chair of the Department of
Genetics at McGill University in Montreal, says that
in certain cases doctors might prescribe increased
doses of folic acid, such as for a pregnant woman who
previously gave birth to a baby with neural-tube
defects. However, healthy individuals should not consume more than 1,000 mcg without the advice of a
Finding folic acid at Costco
Vitamins mcg of folic acid
Kirkland Signature™ folic acid tablets 1,000 mcg
Materna 1,000 mcg
Centrum Forte 600 mcg
Kirkland Signature Formula Forte/Formula Forte Senior 600 mcg
Kirkland Signature B-Complex 400 mcg
One-A-Day Women’s 400 mcg
Kirkland Signature Children’s multivitamin 100 mcg
Flintstones vitamins 100 mcg
Breads and cereals
percentage of
daily requirements
Kellogg’s Vector 38%
Dempster’s hamburger buns 32%
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran 15%
Quaker instant oatmeals 10%–15%
Dempster’s whole-wheat bread 9%
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies 8%
General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios 8%
