Fighting about Folate

Folic Acid is a vitamin B complex that is necessary for women at all stages of life. More specifically, it is extremely important that women who are pregnant or wanting to become pregnant make this an essential vitamin in their every day intake. The intake of folic acid is said to help decrease the possibility of neural tube defects that can arise when parts of the neural tube fail to close causing malformation. This can lead to conditions such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation. It is important that a woman who is at a "fertile" age consume enough folic acid because neural tubes defects can occur before the mother even knows she is pregnant.

The article that I found is talking about increasing the supplementation of folic acid in pregnant women to 400 mug because the prevalence of neural tube defects in infants is still rising. By increasing this supplementation recommendation, the US for Disease Control and Prevention believes that it will decrease the number of neural tube defects by about half. The FDA argues that this increase in folic acid can mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, leading to great problems in the mother and possibly the fetus. The US for Disease Control and Prevention believes that although this is a risk, it is exaggerated and can be treated if these nutritional deficiencies cause concern.

I am drawn to this article because I am extremely interested in prenatal care and the care of pregnant women and feel that increasing the supplementation of folic acid is extremely important. Although they say that many foods such as breakfast cereals and breads are fortified, it leaves gaps for those women that do not obtain that sort of diet.

Do you think that the CDC is correct in believing that increasing supplementation to 400 mug will decrease the prevalence of neural tube defects?

Do you think that the concern for a vitamin B12 deficiency is exaggerated? Or should it be considered?

Let me know what you think!


Here is the link where I found the article!:
Fighting about Folate

The Atkins Diet Controversy

Fad diets are extremely popular, especially with the obesity epidemic that is occurring throughout America. The article that I found is specifically talking about fad diets and their detrimental effects on our bodies. To be more specific, the Atkins diet is one to cause controversy. Directly from the article, they say that "food agencies have issued the first official warnings over new-style diets amid claims that high-fat programs can kill." They also go on to explain that diets that exclude carbohydrates like cereals and breads tend to lean towards high-fat and high-protein diets. High-fat diets can lead to heart disease, diabetes and cancer and carbohydrates can actually prevent these risks by providing whole-grains. The article also explains that these high intakes of fat lead to high cholesterol and arterial problems that can cause heart disease and stroke. The Atkins diet also tells its consumers to stay AWAY from vegetables and fruits and to focus their diet on protein.

I was drawn to this article because I am in majoring in Dietetics, and we talk about fad diets all the time. We also talk about how these diets do provide drastic results, but they never last long and almost always will allow you to regain the weight you originally lost.

I found this article interesting because The Atkins diet was such a huge success and was extremely popular. I always knew that it wasn't the healthiest way to lose weight, and I wanted to expand my knowledge on just how unhealthy it really is. People are always trying to lose weight, and part of my job someday will to teach others how to do it in a more healthy and maintainable way. If you are constantly restricting yourself from these foods that your body needs, especially carbohydrates, your body goes into a stage called "ketosis" which can be very unhealthy for your metabolism. It not only slows it down, but it cuts out a huge part of the process that allows your body to have continual energy.

So here is my question: Although the Atkins diet does produce drastic results, do you think that this is a healthy way of losing weight? Are these risks worth the potential of being able to lose this weight? Let me know what you think.

Also, here is the link to the article that I found on LexisNexis:
New-wave dieters risk illness and death

Thanks guys! Have a great day!