The Dangers of Folic Acid Deficiency

Folic Acid is a type of vitamin that belongs to the Vitamin B family. It is specifically called Vitamin B9. 

It is responsible for protecting the unborn baby from developing various types of birth defects that affect the spine, brain, skull, and neck.

When a pregnant woman lacks folic acid in her diet, it can affect the baby's ability to produce normal cells which results to neural tube defects. This could result in babies born with cleft lip and cleft palate.

1. Folic acid has an important role in the production of the components of DNA, the chemical substances that breathe life to all cells in the body. The amount of folic acid needed by the body should be equal to the number of cells produced at any given time.

Since cell production is at its peak during pregnancy, the amount of folic acid taken by the mother should be more than enough to fuel the vigorous cell production taking place in her body during that delicate stage in her baby's development.

2. Folic acid deficiency can increase the body's homocysteine level
The increase in the amount of homocysteine can lead to abnormal function of the endothelial cells of the heart.

Homocysteine also interacts with vitamin B12 and B6 and is affected by kidney function and heredity. One way to differentiate folic acid deficiency from vitamin B12 deficiency is by using the methylmalonic acid (MMA) level test. If the MMA level is normal it is folic acid deficiency. If the MMA is high, it is vitamin B12 deficiency.

3. Folic acid deficiency affects the production and repair of damaged DNA which could lead to the formation of cancer cells.
The lack of folic acid in the diet can cause imbalance of DNA components, damage to the chromosomes and the defective union of uracil to DNA. The lack of folic acid can also interfere with the methylation of cytosine in the nucleic acids by decreasing the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) content in the body which can eventually lead to the activation of cancer genes.

4. Folic acid deficiency affects the production of healthy red blood cells that can lead to megaloblastic anemia.

5. Folic acid deficiency can lead to glossitis, diarrhea, depression, confusion, and anemia.
Persons suffering from depression are low in both folic acid and vitamin B12.

Drinking alcohol makes folic acid deficiency worse.

Our body does not produce Folic acid ( vitamin B9) like the rest of the B vitamins thus we have to get it from our diet.

Only plants, bacteria and fungi have the capacity to produce folic acid.

However, healthy people can store from 500 to 20,000 micrograms of folic acid in the body. When these people lack folic acid in their diet, they will not show the deficiency right away.

Their folic acid stored in their body is able to compensate for the short supply of this vitamin.

The Anticancer and Wellness Diet Plan

Cancer is a mysterious disease characterized by the abnormal growth of cells in the body. It can be caused by a lot of factors such as various harmful chemicals in the environment, by the food we eat, by the kind of lifestyle we lead, and smoking. 

We can prevent the development of cancer by following a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

 

But what constitutes a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle?

I wrote this article primarily to share the experience of an ovarian cancer survivor who wrote about the kind of diet program that she pursued since she was diagnosed with cancer more than five years ago. 

I thought that this would be helpful not only to cancer survivors but also to those who fear having this dreaded disease in any form.

The number of women getting breast cancer has increased in recent years and it is the fear of this disease that got me to take a closer and more serious look at this article and make this more personal. 

I want to connect with women who want to know more about how to prevent breast cancer, what this disease is all about, what foods to avoid, what food to eat and just everything about breast cancer.

The anticancer diet plan below has been used by this lady for many years now and she has not been sick since following this diet plan.

After battling and surviving ovarian cancer, the lady advices that you should totally abstain from these types of food:

REFINED SUGAR. Why? What about refined sugar?

• Refined sugar disrupts the body's pH level making the body more acidic. The body responds by taking away minerals from other parts to compensate for the acidity. 
   
  When calcium, for example, is taken from the bones, the bones eventually become brittle and become prone to fractures and osteoporosis. 

• Refined sugar ultimately destroys the lining of the digestive tract causing digestion and stomach problems.  
  
  
• Refined sugar does not possess antioxidant properties that protect the body from cancer. 

Alternatives to refined sugar:

• Molasses.
  
  Research show that among the natural alternatives to refined sugar, molasses have the highest antioxidant content compared to maple syrup, corn syrup, agave nectar and brown sugar, making it the best substitute in fighting cancer. 
  
• Brown sugar.
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Coconut palm sugar
• Agave nectar
• Stevia
• Xylitol 

IODIZED SALT.

All the while we thought iodized salt was healthy. Well, it used to be when it was first used in the 1920s.

However, things have changed since then as iodized salt that is currently sold in grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores contain synthetic ingredients such as flouride sodium bicarbonate, sodium solo co-aluminate, iodide, anti-caking agents, derivatives of aluminum, and potassium iodide. Iodized salt has also been bleached to achieve its pure white color making it toxic to the body thus iodized salt is no longer considered a healthy source of iodine. 

The idea of adding iodine to salt started in 1924 in the US due to the increasing cases of goiter within the Great Lakes area and the Pacific Northwest states. These states had very little iodine in their soil plus the fact that residents were having very little iodine in their diet.

With the addition of iodized salt in the diet, the incidence of goiter was greatly reduced and iodized salt has since then became part of the American diet.

The first iodized salt that was produced in the 1920s was made from pure, dried sea water without any synthetic ingredients

PRESERVED AND DRIED FRUITS

DAIRY PRODUCTS EXCEPT GOAT'S MILK

PORK, BEEF, FISH and OTHER TYPES of SEAFOODS

SOY PRODUCTS, CASHEW and PEANUTS

ARTIFICIAL COLORING, PRESERVATIVES and CHEMICALS

Instead of eating processed or fast food for snacks in between meals, you should eat:

Oatmeal 3 to 4 times a day. You can top this with sliced apple or other fruits with low sugar.

Fresh fruits

Raw nuts

Raw and unseasoned seeds like squash, sesame, sunflower, watermelon and pumpkin seeds.