HealthBeat News

Author: Wellness Club

  • Folic Acid Or Folate – What’s The Difference?

    Folic Acid Or Folate – What’s The Difference?

     

    All these supplements and substances with similar and sometimes scary-sounding names sure can be confusing! How is a person to keep them all straight?

    Easy! Just ask us!

    Our article in the last issue of HealthBeat News, The Vitamin Deficiency That Can Cause Dementia showed just how confusing this can be for those without a strong background in human biochemistry and organic chemistry.

    We had several letters come in, but this one from Bill was the most succinct:

    concerning the “senile dementia” article:  isn’t there a difference between folic acid and folate?    bill

     

    Here’s an equally succinct answer for Bill and all the others who were wondering:

    Folic acid is what our bodies use to make folate.

    To expand on this a little bit, folic acid (also know by it’s International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) chemical name (2S)-2-[(4-{[(2-amino-4-hydroxypteridin-6-yl)methyl]amino}phenyl)formamido]pentanedioic acid – don’t bother trying to pronounce it!)  is considered to be by itself biologically inactive until our liver works it’s magic and converts it to what is commonly called folate but is actually several slightly different substances that are each used in different ways by our bodies: tetrahydrofolate, dihydrofolic acid, and l-methyltetrahydrofolate are three examples.

    Many common prescription drugs can interfere with this conversion or with our bodies ability to effectively use folate: trimethoprim, pyrimethamine, and methotrexate; the sulfa drugs (sulfonamides) and the anticonvulsant drug Valproic acid are some examples of drugs that can cause folate deficiencies.

    Certain fairly rare genetic abnormalities can result in folate deficiencies, usually due to differences in the ability of the liver to convert folic acid to folate. Dr. Myatt makes a supplement called L-MethylFolate available for people who need to get their folate directly instead of by converting folic acid. L-MethylFolate can be found on Dr. Myatt’s special-order Health Concierge Products page.

    Most folks do just fine obtaining their optimal amounts of folic acid from supplements such as Hi-B-12/Foliplex.

    So, there you have it – a quick story about a spooky-sounding chemical that is essential to our continued good health!

    Cheers,

    Nurse Mark

  • Senior Ailments

    A group of seniors were sitting around talking about all their ailments.

     

    “My arms have gotten so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee,” said one.

    “Yes, I know,” said another. “My cataracts are so bad; I can’t even see my coffee.”

    “I couldn’t even mark an “X” at election time, my hands are so crippled,” volunteered a third.

    “What? Speak up! What? I can’t hear you!”

    “I can’t turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck,” said a fourth, to which several nodded weakly in agreement.

    “My blood pressure pills make me so dizzy!” exclaimed another.

    “I forget where I am, and where I’m going,” said another.

    “I guess that’s the price we pay for getting old,” winced an old man as he slowly shook his head.

    The others nodded in agreement.

    “Well, count your Blessings,” said a woman cheerfully – – “thank God we can all still drive!”

  • Is There A Natural First Aid Kit?

    We often receive questions from folks who want to know what they should have on hand as part of a natural “first aid kit.” This is in addition to the standard bandaids, dressings, zinc ointment, peroxide, and other wound and boo-boo care items. Here are some recommendations that Dr. Myatt recently sent to one of her “Inner Circle” patients – please follow the links to a more in-depth description of each item in this list.

    Dr. Myatt recommends that everyone have these items on hand in order to help ward off cooties and other problems at the pass.

    And some condition specifics:

    For anyone with a history of chronic/recurrent sinusitis – be SURE to have goldenseal, Inspirol, bromelain, nasosympatico essential oil blend or pure essential oil of lavendar or tea tree

    With a history of urinary tract infection: have D-mannose on hand.

    Anyone with a history of heart problems: bromelain, magnesium glycinate, cayenne/lobelia tincture

  • The Surprisingly High Risk Of This Too-Common Condition

    The Surprisingly High Risk of Belly Fat

     

    by Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    Have you ever seen a man or woman with normal-sized legs and lower body but with a belly that sticks out like they’re nine months pregnant with triplets? Of course you have!

    I call this a “carbo belly” (some call it a beer belly), and it is the type of fat distribution that puts a person at MUCH higher risk for heart disease.

    It is even possible to be a normal weight for one’s height yet still have a waist diameter that increases heart-risk. In fact, how much belly fat you carry is more important than how fat you are overall.

    In a study done at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, researchers measured and followed the abdominal diameter of 101,765 men and women for nearly 12 years.

    Their study found that men with the biggest bellies had 42 percent higher rates of heart disease than men with smaller waist diameters. Women with the biggest bellies were at 44 percent higher risk. This risk was seen even in normal weight subjects with big bellies.

    The take-home message:

    If you carry excess fat in your gut, you’re at higher risk of heart disease than if you have, say, a big butt. (No extra charge for the rhyme).

    Fortunately, the cure for belly fat is simple: cut down – cut WAY down – on simple carbohydrate foods like breads, cereals, potatoes, rice, corn, and sweets, while you increase your intake of protein, Omega-3 fats and non-starchy veggies.

    A few days per week of The Super Fast Diet will jump-start your belly fat weight loss program and get you out of the heart-disease danger zone fast.

    Please Note:

    Dr. Myatt is an expert in the field of weight loss and treatment of metabolic and overweight-related conditions. For more information  please see her paper, written for medical doctors, called Dietary Ketosis in the Treatment of Overweight, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.

    Additional information about weight loss can be found at The Wellness Club: WEIGHT LOSS – The Skinny on Losing Weight for Good

     

    References:

    1.) Value of the sagittal abdominal diameter in coronary heart disease risk assessment: cohort study in a large, multiethnic population. Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Dec 15;164(12):1150-9. Epub 2006 Oct 13. Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Oakland 94612, and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital, CA, USA.
    2.) Carbohydrate restriction alters lipoprotein metabolism by modifying VLDL, LDL, and HDL subfraction distribution and size in overweight men. J Nutr. 2006 Feb;136(2):384-9. Summary: weight loss which resulted from reduced carbohydrate intake decreased risk for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

  • Senile Dementia Linked to Common Nutrient Deficiency

    Senile Dementia Linked to Common Nutrient Deficiency

     

    Here’s something Big Pharma hopes you never learn: that simple nutrient deficiencies are at the root of most diseases.

     

    Did you know that a single nutrient deficiency can cause everything from miscarriage and birth defects to cancer, heart disease, depression, hearing loss, osteoporosis and senile dementia?

    In the case of the above-mentioned maladies, the missing nutrient is folic acid, a B complex vitamin. You’ve probably read in the news about a recent study that links folic acid deficiency to senile dementia, but this certainly not the first study to make this connection.

    Folic acid, a water-soluble B vitamin, gets its name from the Latin “folium,” meaning foliage, because dark green leafy vegetables are a rich source of the nutrient.

    Folic acid is needed for nucleic acid (RNA and DNA) and red blood cell production. It is also required for energy production, especially in the brain and nervous system. Pregnant women have been advised to take folic acid because it is necessary for normal development of the spinal cord and central nervous system of the human embryo.

    The importance of this nutrient is so well-known that the U.S. government has mandated that foods be “fortified” with folic acid. In spite of this fortification, studies show that as many as 61% of the population may still be folic-acid deficient.

    It’s not just pregnant women and their developing babies that need folic acid. Folic acid, along with vitamin B6 and B12, keep homocysteine levels normal.

    Homocysteine is an “intermediate” metabolic product that increases the risk of heart disease and premature brain aging when it occurs in high concentrations. Premature brain aging was the subject of this recent study, which continues to show a connection between folic acid deficiency and senile (age-related) dementia.

    Researchers in the Netherlands evaluated the speed of thinking and memory, two functions known to decline with age.

    Over 800 subjects, ages 50 to 70, took 800 micrograms of folic acid daily for three years.

    At the end of the study, re-testing showed that the subjects who took folic acid had “significantly improved domains of cognitive function that tend to decline with age.” In other words, mental function of the folic acid group didn’t just remain the same, it actually got better over the course of the three year study.

    This is not the first study to connect folic acid with preserved mental function, but it is one of the largest and longest studies.

    Folic acid deficiency is widespread in our culture due to the processing of grain and vegetables.

    Although it is found in green leafy veggies, cooking destroys folic acid. It is also present in organically-raised (grass-fed) beef liver, brewer’s yeast and asparagus. (And how much of these foods do YOU eat?)

    Many experts feel that it is almost impossible to get a recommended daily dose of folic acid from food alone, and several population studies have confirmed this. Big Government obviously agrees with this assessment since they have required fortification of our food supply with folic acid.

    Supplementation is an easy an inexpensive “insurance policy” against the dangerous effects of folic acid deficiency, but most “one per day” vitamins contain too small a dose to do any good. The recommended optimal daily dose (NOT the “RDA” – the minimal daily dose), is 400-800mcg per day. Remember that folic acid is a B complex vitamin, and when one B vitamin is low, the rest of the B complex is also usually low and should be supplemented.

    Is it any wonder that Big Drug Companies support the “push” to outlaw vitamin supplements, given how many drug-treated diseases are actually caused by nutrient deficiencies?

    You’ve been warned while vitamin supplements are still legal: Don’t let a simple nutrient deficiency like low folic acid sneak up on you in the form of failing memory or heart disease. Supplement now, or face the prospects of spending your declining years filling prescriptions for the dementia Rx du jour or cardiac Rx du jour – given to you to treat the effects of simple folic acid deficiency, brought to you by Big Pharma. Face it: there’s a real reason they hope you’ll never learn about this important nutrient…

    P.S. Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi Optimal Dose daily multi vitamin/mineral/trace mineral/antioxidant formula has always contained 800mcg of folic acid. The importance of optimal levels of this vitamin is not “new news” to us at The Wellness Club, in spite of more studies offering conclusive proof of it’s value.

    Learn more about Maxi Multi’s here

    Learn more about the B complex vitamins here – with a handy chart to help you know which B-Vitamins are important for different functions.

     

    References

    1.) Effect of 3-year folic acid supplementation on cognitive function in older adults in the FACIT trial: a randomized, double blind, controlled trial. Lancet. 2007 Jan 20;369(9557):208-16. Su7mmary: Folic acid supplementation for 3 years significantly improved the types of cognitive function that typically decline with age.
    2.) Effects of folic acid supplementation on hearing in older adults: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Jan 2;146(1):1-9. Summary: Folic acid supplementation slowed the rate of hearing loss (speech frequencies) in aging population.
    3.) Low folate status is associated with impaired cognitive function and dementia in the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Dec;82(6):1346-52. Summary: Low folic acid levels are associated with cognitive decline and food fortification with this vitamin is not sufficient to correct the problem.
    4.) High homocysteine and low B vitamins predict cognitive decline in aging men: the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;82(3):627-35. CONCLUSIONS: Low B vitamin and high homocysteine concentrations predict cognitive decline.
    5.) Homocysteine versus the vitamins folate, B6, and B12 as predictors of cognitive function and decline in older high-functioning adults: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging. Am J Med. 2005 Feb;118(2):161-7. CONCLUSION: In high-functioning older adults, low folate levels appear to be a risk factor for cognitive decline. The risk of developing cognitive decline might be reduced through dietary folate intake.
    6.) Homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B-12 in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Jul;80(1):114-22. CONCLUSIONS: Relative folate deficiency may precede Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia onset.
    7.) Homocysteine and B vitamins in mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2005;43(10):1096-100. Summary: Subclinical folate deficiency appears to precede dementia.