Mandatory food enrichment – what could possibly go wrong?
White flour, enriched pasta and cornmeal have been fortified with folic acid since 1998 to help ensure that women of child-bearing age consume adequate amounts of the vitamin to prevent neural-tube defects in their offspring.
[…]
Dr. O’Connor said it may be a good idea for men and children to avoid supplements or multivitamins that contain folic acid. “We’ve shown that there’s virtually zero chance of [men and children] being deficient, but [their] levels are starting to get a little on the high side,” she said.
Excessive consumption of folic acid is drawing increasing concern from scientists who fear that it may be linked to cancer. For instance, a Norwegian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year found that heart-disease patients treated with folic acid and B12 were more likely to be diagnosed and die from cancer than patients who did not receive those vitamins as treatment.
Because there’s nothing that you can eat that government can’t make better.
But, but, but… gov is the only reasonable option we have. /sarc
ya think maybe they just should have recommended pregnant women take folic acid in pill form instead of putting it in everyone’s food?
Maybe eh.
Sometimes I read things on SDA and they go right through my brain & other times, they don’t get to my brain–they stop at my retina & fall out of my eye! Kate, you’re the best!
Keep the nanny state off my plate!
It’s bad enough that they poison our water with fluorides, now they want to lobotomize and castrate everyone into effeminate, vegetative lefty’s by putting lithium & estrogen in it.
When that day happens the Davenports, Mouthers & Andy Dicks of our societies will have won.
We’ll be just like them.
First, I read about Mrs Obama telling us that a nutrition bill is being introduced because ‘We Can’t Just Leave It Up To The Parents’.. and then I read where the government enrichment nutritionists are now saying “oops”.
About this I have but two words to say: Personal Responsibility.
IIRC, folate is quite useful for the metabolism of alcohol (critically useful if you happen to accidentally get a bit of hooch that has some methanol in it).
Can we just drink a bit more to get those folate levels down?
The most common strictly genetic cause of death (hemochromatosis) in the US (and probably Canada too) has as its primary symptom too much iron in the blood (and then too much iron where the blood goes). It can be exacerbated by excess levels of vitamin C. So what do food companies do? They dump iron in cereals and vitamin C in all kinds of fruit juice where it doesn’t belong.
What I love is all the people who complain, say about fluride inthe water, are treated like insane looneys…until 30 years later when someone goes whoopsie! and nothingmuch is heard.
Being so dumb, with broken brain, I can’t quite understand whether it’s good or bad that all flour contains carcinogenic substance, thus making it impossible to opt out.
Good or bad?
This just means more home made pasta!
> This just means more home made pasta!
Huh? Do you propose to grow our own wheat and grind our own flour?
Is killing men a feature or a bug Nanny dearest?
This thread is closest opportunity I have had to rant about something that I am bugged about every time I sit down for breakfast. Grant me a moment for a personal tirade. WHY do we have these moronic labels on our food products that tell us what the percentage of our recommended daily values are??? AHHHHHHHHGGG!
If you doubt it is moronic just read the pop can labels that tell us there is not a significant amount of iron, protein, vitamin A or whatever. WHO CARES? It’s pop! Did any moron buy a can of pop and actually think he/she was going to get some nourishment from it? THen he/she deserve the health they get.
Any why doesn’t the Nanny state authorities just tell us what is in the damn box of cereal and not what percentage of this and that daily values there are. LET US FIGURE OUT WHAT’S BEST for our ourselves. And just maybe there are upteen dozen other ingredients and nutrients that are not on their @%!?* approved list that we would also like to know about.
Just one more time – ARRHHHHHGGGG!
This is nothing new. Iron was put into a lot of vitamins for years, as it was good for women. Then someone finally did a study and found out that too much iron leads to heart attacks in men.
What’s amazing is that anything was done about it. The life expectancy for women is 5+ years over men’s in the USA. With 300 million people, half of them women, that’s getting on a billion extra years of life for women.
Yet public debate remains focused on women’s health issues.
Jack, you are stepping on the toes of the Food Industry. They want their hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue to continue growing. The labels are designed to serve that purpose. They colluded with government to keep status quo by confusing the customers. Monopolies work that way, nothing new here. They don’t need an informed customer able to make choices about food products – they need to sell whatever they currently produce.
I am not anti-capitalist. I am a capitalist myself and want to stay that way. I am anti-genocidalist, anti-corruptionist and anti-monopolist.
> This just means more home made pasta!
> Huh? Do you propose to grow our own wheat and
> grind our own flour?
> Posted by: Aaron at December 14, 2010 12:28 PM
Buy your flour from organic supplier, you can get the stuff like people got it 100 years ago, no chemicals, no bleaching.
My wife and I do our own breads, pasta and other baked goods, we buy 40 lbs bags and the cost isn’t that much more that the crap they sell you in the grocery store.
The other marginally interesting thing is that folate supplementation can result in misdiagnosis of B12 deficiency – as the macrocytic anemia usually found in the latter can be disguised through folate supplementation, IIRC.
Overall though, given the fact that folate deficiency in pregnancy can have such drastic consequences, I do worse things to myself voluntarily compared to having a bit more folate on board involuntarily. I’m not too worried, honestly.
If they start adding supplements to beer, we men are doomed.
All of which is another good health reason to avoid grain products altogether, in addition to glutens, gliands, phytic acid and other pro-inflammatory and anti-nutrient defences that grain plants have evolved to injure animals silly enough try to eat their reproductive systems.
Durum Semolina can be had at your local bulk food store. It’s the only one we use for pasta.
Leave it to Murray, to avoid grain products.
I’ll keep the Beer & Whiskey!
Folic acid is especially required at the very early stages of pregnancy before the mother would normally be aware of the fact; taking supplemental folic acid at that stage is sometimes too late if the normal diet doesn’t contain enough, and the child develops abnormally. Adding folic acid to packaged foods means that all women get the supplement no matter what their diet and all unplanned pregnancies are protected.
Or, as sensible people plan the major events in their lives, folic acid supplements can be can be taken starting a month or so prior to attempting a planned pregnancy. Everything worked out fine for my three kids.
“If it saves just ONE child,” though, it’s worth it; everyone knows that. Any ill-effects to others are just collateral damage.
It’s odd that nothing can be done to save even ONE child from a habitually drunk, drugged, diseased street slut if she doesn’t want to leave her beloved lifestyle. “Her body, her decision,” you know.
If folic acid and B12 prevent heart attacks, cancer as the next most usual killer would naturally become over represented. That is if they didn’t also prevent cancers. In that case I guess the headline would be: “Excessive Consumption of Folic Acid and B12 Linked to Increased Chance of Death by Accident” or what ever the 3rd most likely cause of death is.
foobius – if we could get something to stop fetal alcohol syndrome – that would be great . . . .
I would be the first to question Woody Allen’s fitness as a role model/mentor……there is the uneasy point that he made with his movie…SLEEPER.
The future he wakes up to regards smoking tobacco as “the best thing for you!”
WHEEEEEE!
> Buy your flour from organic supplier
This is not about me. What I do goes above and beyond the efforts of 99% organic fanatics. This is about 100s of millions of people who don’t have brain and time to know how they are getting slowly poisoned.
A while back the media was airing advertisements that people need more Vίt D in thier diet because lack of Vίt D caused several cancers, it was on one of those millions of cancer infomercial we get pelted with each month. Well lo and behold two weeks ago they linked excessive Vίt D dosages to an increase in getting cancer. Jebus wept in one side of their mouth and out the other. Everything in moderation is okay and good for you. I don’t need Nanny telling me drinking a forty of Jack Daniels a day is bad for me dah.
As if the very real and very high risk of neural tube defects that used to be unacceptably prevalent in Canada before folic acid supplementation doesn’t outweigh any remote link with cancer. I agree, let’s stop supplementing. All those kids with spina bifida are just whiners anyway. And hey, the ones born with Anencephaly can’t complain about it, so what’s the big deal?
Also: Fred, folate is required so early in pregnancy that by the time the woman realizes she is pregnant, it’s too late to begin supplementing; the critical window to avoid neural tube defects has passed. Thus, the need for supplementation.
And distinguishing between B12/folate deficiency macrocytic anemia isn’t too difficult for the trained clinician; though folate deficiency presents with similar symptoms as B12 deficiency, it doesn’t result in neurologic deficits seen in the latter. If the case is unclear, serum Methyl Malonic Acid testing can distinguish between the two.
Hey Mark, I guess my point was that many clinicians don’t realize that folate supplementation can mask the hematological symptoms of B12 deficiency. As I said above, I think that folate supplementation benefits outweigh the risks. Cheers.
Caveat Emptor Aaron.
What gets lost in the statistical noise is who the subjects of the study are. To lump them all together and call them(us) Canadian is moronic.
The diets of Newfoundlanders, Vancouverites, and Northern aboriginals are dramatically different, especially regarding fresh fruit and vegetables in Winter.
I’m guessing Kate eats far more lean red meat than the majority of urban consumers (myself).
Wifey refuses to buy feedlot product, instead sourcing locally raised, and farmer slaughtered meat. Illegal I know. I really miss the piquancy of anti-biotics. 🙂
Got this in my E-mail the other day.
My new doctor.
Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it… Don’t waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster.
Want to live longer? Take nap.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made of grain. Bottom up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can’t think of single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No pain…good!
Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING! Food are fried these day in vegetable oil. In fact, they permeated by it. How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy?!? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa bean! Another vegetable! It best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me..
Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ‘Round’ is shape!
Well… I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways – a Yuengling’s beer in one hand – chocolate in the other – body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO-HOO, what a ride!!”
AND…..
For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans..
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
One word (well, actually, two):
Telephone Sanitizers.
If we had a Charter of Rights that was useful for anything other than as toilet paper, the government would have no right to require any chemicals put into our foods.
One major problem is that the scientific knowledge changes. The chemical that yesterday was considered to be the cure for whatever disease is today discovered to be far less effective than previously thought, and has nasty side effects too. Will anyone in government take responsibility for poisoning Canadians, if that’s how it turns out? Of course not.
In the Cooper vs. Hobart case of 2001, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that government bureaucrats cannot be held responsible when they foul up, whether through laziness, incompetence or malfeasance. In the St. Lawrence Cement case of 2008, it ruled that a company can still be held responsible for its actions even if it is in full compliance with regulations. What these two cases mean when considered together is that regulations are worthless. One other case: in May 2009, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that Ontario is obliged to protect the public from the spread of communicable diseases, but can’t be held financially responsible to people who actually catch those diseases. In other words, government can promise the Sun, the Moon and the stars, and spend enormous quantities of tax dollars in the process, but can’t be held responsible for failure. Whatever the merits of a particular case, this is simply irresponsible, but it is the standard state of affairs under socialism, or in socialized economic sectors. In the private sector, when a company you deal with provides a bad product, if nothing else you can spend your money elsewhere in future.
Folic acid is known to help the fight against spina bifida and neural tube defects. But now it’s been linked to higher rates of cancer. Thalidomide was touted as a cure for some pregnancy-related symptoms (and apparently is a wonder drug for certain illnesses), but then was shown to cause serious birth defects.
The decision on what substances to ingest must be left up to the individual, by right. If we had a proper Charter of Rights, one that politicians respected rather than paid lip service to, that would be the reality.
One of the vitamins that is in very short supply for many people is folic acid. There is a huge variability between people in their folic acid requirements with a significant number of people needing far more than the 0.4 mg/day that is recommended. Numerous studies that I’ve reviewed indicate that folate deficiency is associated with an increased risk of cancer.
15 years ago I ran into a number of studies that showed normalization of cervical dysplasia with high dose folic acid (5-15 mg/day). While not a controlled study, a number of patients I put on folic acid had their pap smears normalize with folic acid doses of 10 mg/day. These women were quite happy to stay on folic acid as it meant coming in yearly for paps instead of every 3 months.
When it comes to increased bowel cancer risk with folic acid, I doubt those results. A pre-existing cancer will grow faster with folic acid supplementation as folic acid is necessary for DNA replication. Similarly, someone who has a cancer will get faster cancer growth if they take supplemental B12. There are numerous other studies which indicate that folic acid supplementation is associated with increased DNA methylation which turns off oncogenes.
Increasing folic acid intake reduces homocysteine levels and high homocysteine is associated with peripheral vascular disease and strokes. Also, people who are depressed often have low folic acid levels. In such people folic acid acts as an antidepressant.
If someone doesn’t eat vegetables, then meat is the only source of folic acid. I recommend supplemental folate to people who have poor diets. I first started taking high dose folic acid about 30 years ago and should note a recent colonoscopy was totally normal (there needs to be a better way of doing bowel prep though).
Whether food should be supplemented with folic acid is something I have mixed feelings on. Folic acid deficiency is quite common but we won’t know exactly how common in BC as MSP just delisted testing for serum folate levels. They won’t pay to have homocysteine levels tested either.
Folic acid reduces the risk of spina bifida and I ensure that all pregnant patients of mine are on folic acid as well as at least 3000 IU of D3/day and I also check B12 levels to see if these women need B12 also. (A lot more useful test than the mandatory HIV test the BC government insists all pregnant women get. In the area I practice, tits on a bull are far more common than HIV+ heterosexual women).
What we need are screens for people who need far higher doses of folic acid than the miniscule RDA promulgated by dieticians who are under the delusion that the majority of the population can’t possible be deficient in certain vitamins. Methylenetetrahydro folate reductase mutants are very common in the European population and individuals with such mutations need far more than 0.4 mg folic acid/day to keep homocysteine levels low. Drug companies hated homocysteine as a risk factor for heart disease because treatment of high homocysteine levels cost pennies/day in comparison to the $200-300/month for statins. Look for homocysteine to suddenly become a hot research topic again if a drug company comes up with a patentable folic acid derivative that can be sold at a high price.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is very common in Northern European populations and one of the arguments against fortifying food with folic acid is the masking of B12 deficiency. I can’t believe how much B12 deficiency I pick up in even quite young women who feel way better once they get on B12 supplements.
The optimum vitamin intake for most people is rarely provided by food; definitely not if people avoid eating meat. People who drink alcohol need increased intake of thiamine and supplementing alcohol with thiamine could eliminate Korsakoff’s syndrome. I’ve seen a case of beri beri in a patient with a very bizarre vegetarian diet.
For optimal mental functioning, usually vitamin supplements are needed as few of us can subsist on a diet of either free range beef/buffalo or game meat. The nice thing about eating meat is that the animal has done the work of getting most of the vitamins and minerals one needs. Feedlots dramatically reduce the nutritional value of beef as they greatly reduce omega-3 fatty acid levels and, if one is eating feedlot beef, a large intake of fish oil is needed to balance out the high omega-6 fatty acids.
Anyone living N of 35 degrees latitude needs to be on supplemental D3 during the fall and winter months. In the old days, people would take cod liver oil (no longer recommended because of the high vitamin A levels) but an intake of 3000-10000 IU of D3 daily is a good idea during the winter. What really struck me about Vancouver was the number of non-existent 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels I used to see in people and perhaps moonbats can be cured with Vitamin D3.
Loki, are you saying that if you have a balanced diet that you will live until you die?
∞² – a very succinct summary of my longish post;-)
Note that what constitutes a balanced diet is different for everyone and I hope maybe in the next century dieticians might comprehend this notion. Maybe then eating a balanced diet will let you live till you die (I don’t consider having congestive heart failure, COPD, peripheral vascular disease and dementia to be living).
In the 50s, Sci-fi glowingly predicted a future when all sustenance was contained in a pill form, it made me shudder then and still does.if you need to gobble vitamin supplements you are eating the wrong stuff! A good omnivorous diet of fruits, leafy greens and small portions of protein served us well , producing healthy kids.Listening to nutritionists is bad for your health, they are the global warming researchers of diet.
Nutritional labels are good in exposing why we should avoid all highly processed crap, it has way too much fat,salt and sugar.the rest is empty calories and preservatives.