kieblog: Why Should My Pregnant Wife Eat Kale & Take Folate?

Folate is a B vitamin, such as thiamine, niacin and vitamin B12

Folate is an important vitamin, which most parents are aware of because of the association of low folate levels with premature babies and birth defects. These defects of the brain or spinal cord are the major defects associated with inadequate folate intake. Folate is necessary for women of childbearing age and at the beginning of pregnancy for a healthy child. Once born, infants and children continue to need adequate levels of folate otherwise they may not grow properly and have a slower than normal growth rate.

Folic acid, also called folate or folacin, is a B-complex vitamin most publicized for its importance in pregnancy and prevention of pregnancy defects. These defects involve malformation of a structure in the fetus called the neural tube. As the baby develops, the top part of this tube helps form the baby's brain, and the bottom part unfolds to become the baby's spinal column.

When the neural tube fails to close properly, serious brain and spinal problems result. Mothers with inadequate supplies of folic acid have been determined to give birth to a greater number of infants with neural tube defects. Beginning in the early 1980's, researchers began to successfully use folic acid supplementation to reduce the risk of nervous system problems in newborn infants.

What does folate do for my growing son?

Support red blood cell production and help prevent anemia
Help prevent homocysteine build-up in your blood
Support cell production, especially in your skin
Allow nerves to function properly
Help prevent osteoporosis-related bone fractures
Help prevent dementias including Alzheimer's disease

What happens to Alexander if Saki doesn't get enough folate?

Irritability
Mental fatigue, forgetfulness, or confusion
Depression
Insomnia
General or muscular fatigue
Gingivitis or periodontal disease

Alcoholism
Anemias (especially macrocytic anemia)
Atherosclerosis
Cervical dysplasia
Cervical tumors
Cleft palate or cleft lip
Crohn's disease
Depression
Diarrhea
Gingivitis
Glossitis
Glycogen storage disease type I
Hyperhomocysteinemia
Inflammatory bowel disease
Insomnia
Myelopathy
Neural tube defects
Non-senile dementia
Ovarian tumors
Periodontal disease
Restless leg syndrome
Schizophrenia
Seborrheic dermatitis
Tropical sprue
Uterine tumors
premature birth

brain defects
anemia (low red blood cell counts)
diarrhea
weight loss

One of folate's key functions as a vitamin is to allow for complete development of red blood cells. These cells help carry oxygen around the body. When folic acid is deficient, the red bloods cannot form properly, and continue to grow without dividing. This condition is called macrocytic anemia, and one of its most common causes is folic acid deficiency.

In addition to its support of red blood cell formation, folate also helps maintain healthy circulation of the blood throughout the body by preventing build-up of a substance called homocysteine. A high serum homocysteine level (called hyperhomocysteinemia) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and low intake of folate is a key risk factor for hyperhomocysteinemia. Increased intake of folic acid, particularly by men, has repeatedly been suggested as a simply way to lower risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing build-up of homocysteine in the blood.

Preliminary research also suggests that high homocysteine levels can lead to the deterioration of dopamine-producing brain cells and may therefore contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease. Therefore, folate deficiency may have an important relationship to neurological health.

Research is now confirming a link between blood levels of folate and not only cardiovascular disease, but dementias, including Alzheimer's disease.

Research teams in the Netherlands and the U.S. have confirmed that low levels of folic acid in the diet significantly increases risk of osteporosis-related bone fractures due to the resulting increase in homocysteine levels.

Cells with very short life spans (like skin cells, intestinal cells, and most cells that line the body's exposed surfaces or cavities) are highly dependent on folic acid for their creation. For this reason, folic acid deficiency has repeatedly been linked to problems in these types of tissue.

In the mouth, these problems include gingivitis, cleft palate, and periodontal disease. In the skin, the most common folate deficiency-related condition is seborrheic dermatitis. Vitiligo (loss of skin pigment) can also be related to folic acid deficiency. Cancers of the esophagus and lung, uterus and cervix, and intestine (especially the colon) have been repeatedly linked to folate deficiency.

Prevention of neural tube defects in newborn infants is only one of the nervous system-related functions of folic acid. Deficiency of folate has been linked to a wide variety of nervous system problems, including general mental fatigue, non-senile dementia, depression, restless leg syndrome, nervous system problems in the hands and feet, irritability, forgetfulness, confusion, and insomnia. The link between folate and many of these conditions may involve the role of folate in maintaining proper balance in nervous system's message-carrying molecules. These molecules, called neurotransmitters, often depend upon folic acid for their synthesis. It's been fascinating to see a link discovered by researchers between mothers who follow a Mediterranean-style diet and lowered risk of spina bifida (SB) in their infants. (SB is a set of conditions that include neural tube defects.) The ability of a Mediterranean-type diet to supply rich amounts of folic acid and other nervous system supportive nutrients is believed to be the reason that a Mediterranean-type diet in the lifestyle of the mother works so well in decreasing her infant's SB risk.

List of vegetables and their folate content
basically all leafy green vegetables

Excellent sources of folate include

Calf Liver

romaine lettuce,

spinach,

asparagus,

turnip greens,

mustard greens,

calf's liver,

parsley,

collard greens,

broccoli,

cauliflower,

beets,

Very good sources include

summer squash,

papaya,

strawberries,

sea vegetables,

cabbage,

bell peppers,

Brussels sprouts,

leeks,

fennel,

tomatoes

Other Sources include

Okra
Iceberg lettuce
Sunflower seeds
Asparagus
Baked potato
Avocados
Tomato Juice
Orange juice
Strawberries
Oranges
Eggs
Bananas

World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of folate
Food	Serving Size	Cals	Amount (mcg)	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
Romaine Lettuce	2 cups	16.0	127.84	32.0	36.0	excellent
Spinach	1 cup cooked	41.4	262.80	65.7	28.6	excellent
Turnip Greens	1 cup cooked	28.8	169.92	42.5	26.5	excellent
Mustard Greens	1 cup cooked	21.0	102.20	25.6	21.9	excellent
Parsley	2 tbs	2.7	11.55	2.9	19.0	good
Sea Vegetables	0.25 cup	8.6	36.00	9.0	18.8	very good
Collard Greens	1 cup cooked	49.4	176.70	44.2	16.1	excellent
Asparagus	1 cup raw	26.8	69.68	17.4	11.7	excellent
Beets	1 cup raw	58.5	148.24	37.1	11.4	excellent
Cauliflower	1 cup raw	26.8	60.99	15.2	10.3	excellent
Celery	2 tsp	16.2	36.36	9.1	10.1	very good
Broccoli	1 cup raw	30.9	57.33	14.3	8.3	excellent
Summer Squash	1 cup raw	18.1	32.77	8.2	8.2	very good
Calf Liver	4 oz-wt	217.7	375.35	93.8	7.8	excellent
Cabbage	1 cup raw	17.5	30.10	7.5	7.7	very good
Lentils	1 cup	229.7	358.38	89.6	7.0	excellent
Bell Peppers	1 cup raw	28.5	42.32	10.6	6.7	very good
Brussels Sprouts	1 cup raw	37.8	53.68	13.4	6.4	very good
Green Beans	1 cup raw	31.0	33.00	8.2	4.8	very good
Leeks	1 cup raw	54.3	56.96	14.2	4.7	very good
Winter Squash	1 cup baked	75.8	41.00	10.2	2.4	good
Papaya	1 each	118.6	115.52	28.9	4.4	very good
Eggplant	1 cup raw	19.7	18.04	4.5	4.1	good
Fennel	1 cup raw	27.0	23.49	5.9	3.9	very good
Tomatoes	1 cup raw	32.4	27.00	6.8	3.8	very good
Strawberries	1 cup	46.1	34.56	8.6	3.4	very good
Oranges	1 each	61.6	39.30	9.8	2.9	good
Mushrooms - Crimini	5 oz-wt raw	19.1	12.18	3.0	2.9	good
Cantaloupe	1 cup	54.4	33.60	8.4	2.8	good
Avocado	1 cup	233.6	118.26	29.6	2.3	good
Onions	1 cup raw	64.0	30.40	7.6	2.1	good
Kale	1 cup cooked	36.4	16.90	4.2	2.1	good
Carrots	1 cup	50.0	23.18	5.8	2.1	good
Swiss Chard	1 cup cooked	35.0	15.75	3.9	2.0	good
Raspberries	1 cup	64.0	25.83	6.5	1.8	good
Sunflower Seeds	0.25 cup	204.4	79.45	19.9	1.7	good
Pineapple	1 cup	82.5	29.70	7.4	1.6	good
Quinoa	0.25 cup	222.0	77.70	19.4	1.6	good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good	DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good	DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%

They sell "folic acid" in the pharmacy, is that the same thing?
No.
The naturally occurring form of folate is not folic acid, a compound not normally found in food or nature, but tetrahydrofolate. While folic acid can be converted into folate, that conversion is poor in humans. It’s also important to note that unlike natural folate, folic acid does not cross the placenta. This is significant because folate is a crucial nutrient for pregnancy, and while folic acid can prevent neural tube defects it doesn’t have the other beneficial effects of folate. What’s more, several studies have shown that folic acid – but not natural folate – increases cancer risk. Unfortunately, folic acid is what’s often used in multivitamins, because it’s significantly cheaper than natural folate.

How do cooking, storage, or processing affect folate?

Folate contained in animal products (like beef liver) appears to be relatively stable to cooking, unlike folate in plant products (like cabbage) which can lose up to 40% of their folate content from cooking. Processed grains and flours can lose up to 70% of their folate, and despite this processing loss, processed grains and flours are not required to be enriched with folate, even though they are legally required to be enriched with other B vitamins including B1, B2, and B3.

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of folate?

In addition to poor dietary intake of folate itself, deficient intake of other B vitamins can contribute to folate deficiency. These vitamins include B1, B2, and B3 which are all involved in folate recycling. Poor protein intake can cause deficiency of folate binding protein which is needed for optimal absorption of folate from the intestine, and can also be related to an insufficient supply of glycine and serine, the amino acids that directly participate in metabolic recycling of folate. Excessive intake of alcohol, smoking, and heavy coffee drinking can also contribute to folate deficiency.

Folate Supplements Saki Has Been Taking
(Apart from plenty of leafy greens)