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"For them, taking dietary folate before they get pregnant will prevent spina bifida in their offspring (a tragic condition involving abnormality of the spinal cord that leads to death and/or neurological impairment of the infant). Given the small risk that you may be one of these women I recommend taking folate before yon conceive (the only time I will tell you to take vitamins or supplements). STEROIDS Several steroids are sold over the counter as supplements, although they probably should be classified as drugs because they have potentially dangerous side effects." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"Nutrients such as folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 have been correlated with prevention of the more common pregnancy complications, such as spontaneous abortion, placental abruption, preterm delivery, low infant birth weight, and neural tube defects (such as spina bifida and anencephaly).8 Supplementation with calcium—the only mineral whose requirement doubles during pregnancy9— has been positively correlated with prevention of pregnancy hypertension,10 preeclampsia,11, 12 preterm delivery,13 and low birth weight,14 as well as puerperal psychosis (postpartum depression)." - Tori Hudson, N.D., Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Alternative Therapies and Integrative Medicine for Total Health and Wellness (Get the book.)

"Maybe the new policy (initiated because of the spina bifida experience) is doing much more good beyond pregnancy. Longevity continues to increase, but there are better explanations than folic acid in our bread. Randomized controlled trials of lowering homocysteine with folic acid led to no discernible reduction in vascular events in vascular disease or effect on cognitive performance." - Nortin M. Hadler MD, Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America (Get the book.)

"FOLIC ACID The most practical reason for women of childbearing age to take multivitamins with folic acid supplements is the prevention of neural tube-related birth defects like spina bifida. Prevention of neural-tube birth defects is accomplished with 400 meg of folic acid daily, obtained from food and/or vitamin supplements. Foods high in folate include leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach as well as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and lentils." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"Low maternal dietary intakes of iron, magnesium, and niacin are associated with spina bifida in the offspring. /. Nutr. 134, 1516-1522. 29. Missmer, S. A., Suarez, L., Felkner, M., Wang, D., Merrill, A. H., Jr, Rothman, K. J., and Hendricks, K. A. (2006). Exposure to fumonisins and the occurrence of neural tube defects along the Texas-Mexico border. Environ. Health Perspect. 114(2), 237-241. 30. Suarez, L., Hendricks, K., Cooper, S. P., Sweeney, A. M., Hardy, R. J., and Larsen, R. D. (2003). Maternal serum B-12 levels and risk for neural tube defects in a Texas-Mexico border population. Ann." - Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey, Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease (Get the book.) "Folate insufficiency, mentioned earlier in the etiology of spina bifida and cleft lip and palate, has also been implicated in the etiology of limb and heart abnormalities and Down syndrome [36]. Severe zinc deficiency has been linked to intrauterine growth retardation and teratogenesis; mild to moderate deficiency has been associated with congenital malformations, LBW, and preterm delivery [37]." - Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey, Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease (Get the book.) "Meanwhile, a group of investigators in the Netherlands has reported significantly lower dietary intake of iron, magnesium, niacin, fiber, plant protein, and polysaccharides in mothers of infants with spina bifida in = 106) compared to controls in = 181) independent of periconceptional folic acid use [28]. They also found increased risk related to dietary intake of mono- and disac-charides, which they suggest supports the importance of optimal carbohydrate intake during neural tube formation." - Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey, Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease (Get the book.)

"Among the B vitamins, folic acid is the best deterrent against spina bifida, a disabling spinal birth defect. The B vitamins participate in the most important aspects of food metabolism, the production of energy, and immune function. The only adverse effect we have seen from the B vitamins is constipation—from B-12—in a few patients. Generally, if you take too much vitamin B, your system excretes the excess. The B vitamins are water soluble. If you notice your urine turns yellow after you start on a supplement program, the likely cause is vitamin B-2, which has a fluorescent yellow pigment." - Stephen Sinatra, M.D. and James C., M.D. Roberts, Reverse Heart Disease Now: Stop Deadly Cardiovascular Plaque Before It's Too Late (Get the book.)

"Fixing these biochemical trains also prevents heart disease, osteoporosis, strokes, cancer, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and more. Methylation is the center of our biochemistry and brain function because it: • ?Keeps Our DNA Working •I- Protects our DNA: it repairs damaged DNA. ??Switches DNA on and off at the right time to keep us healthy. ??Helps Neurotransmitters Work • ?It is necessary for the production and removal of neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine to keep things in balance. ??" - Mark Hyman MD, The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First (Get the book.)

"The lifetime health costs as- sociated with spina bifida, the most common NTD, exceed $500,000, and the yearly costs in Social Security payments exceed $82 million.164 Judge Gladys Kessler enjoined FDA's ban, holding it in violation of Pearson v. Shalala I. She recognized that FDA had abused its discretion: [T]he Court concludes that a preliminary injunction is warranted in this case. As will be explained below, it is clear that the FDA simply failed to comply with the constitutional guidelines outlined in Pearson." - Jonathan W. Emord, The Rise of Tyranny (Get the book.) "They asked that FDA permit a claim associating folic acid with a reduction in the risk of neural tube defect births, reciting the fact that every year Commissioner Kessler disallowed that claim he contributed to an estimated 2,500 preventable neural tube defect births, as 1 in approximately 1,000 pregnant women unaware of the need to consume 400 meg or more of folic acid daily before they became pregnant experienced the horrific realization that their newborns would arrive with spina bifida or anencephaly." - Jonathan W. Emord, The Rise of Tyranny (Get the book.)

"NTDs include several disorders ranging from spina bifida (incomplete closure of the bones around the spinal cord that can lead to paralysis) to a lack of a cranium (the bones of the head) and its contents, called anencephaly. Approximately 4,000 pregnancies in the United States are affected by NTDs each year." - Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D., The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions (Get the book.)

"Spina bifida As many as 5 percent of births show some developmental defect, many of which affect the central nervous system. spina bifida, a condition in which the spinal cord does not develop properly, has been strongly linked to a lack of folic acid and probably of other nutrients, too, in the mother's diet. A survey of twenty-three thousand women found that those who supplemented their diet during the first six weeks of pregnancy had a 75 percent lower incidence of neural tube defects than those who did not." - Patrick Holford, The New Optimum Nutrition Bible (Get the book.)

"Deficiencies during pregnancy have been linked to birth defects such as spina bifida. The RDA is 200 ug and the upper safe limit is considered to be 1 000 ug. Folic acid (Pteroylglutamic acid, PGA) Chemical structure of folic acid (the main compound of folate) Niacin Niacin is the generic term used for two different compounds, namely nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, which both have the same activity. Niacin can be formed in the human body from the amino acid tryptophan. Cereals (especially whole grains) are a good source of preformed niacin. The RDA is 18 mg." - Ben-Erik van Wyk, Food Plants of the World: An illustrated guide (Get the book.)

"A daily supplement of 400 micrograms (meg) of folic acid, a vitamin crucial for proper cell growth, can dramatically reduce birth defects of the brain and spine, such as spina bifida. Such problems occur in approximately 3,000 pregnancies every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Getting that much folic acid isn't difficult—you can take a single vitamin pill or you can get it from folate-rich foods, such as leafy green vegetables and citrus fruits, or from folate-fortified foods, including enriched breads and cereals." - Bottom Line Health, Bottom Line's Health Breakthroughs 2007 (Get the book.)

"And there's been a corresponding decrease in diseases, such as spina bifida, that are related to folic acid deficiency in pregnant women. That's a wonderful thing—but it may not be the whole story. Our understanding of epigenetics is so immature we have to be wary about unintended consequences. We just don't know what other genes may be influenced by pumping methyl donors into the food supply, and we probably won't know for years." - Dr. Sharon Moalem, Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease (Get the book.) "When a pregnant woman has too little folic acid, the fetus is at significantly higher risk for serious birth defects, including spina bifida, a deformation of the spinal cord that often causes paralysis. And as we said, ultraviolet light destroys folic acid in the body. In the mid-1990s an Argentinian pediatrician reported that three healthy women all gave birth to children who had neural tube defects after using indoor tanning beds during their pregnancies. Coincidence? Probably not. Pregnancy isn't the only time folate is important, of course." - Dr. Sharon Moalem, Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease (Get the book.)

"Therapeutic Uses Neural Tube Defects: It has been proven that women will give birth to babies with spina bifida and similar neural tube defects (NTDs) much less frequently if they take supplemental folic acid, 1 mg. We generally recommend 5 mg daily. Dr Smithells in 1981 showed that giving pregnant women extra folic acid decreased the incidence of NTDs. Before that he had measured the red cell folate and white cell vitamin C levels of mothers who had babies with NTDs and found they were lower in both. This finding created tremendous interest in using orthomolecular doses of folic acid." - Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH, Naturopathic Nutrition: A Guide to Nutrient-rich Food & Nutritional Supplements for Optimum Health (Get the book.)

"National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC): Revised statement on the relationship between dietary folic acid and neural tube defects such as spina bifida. J Paediatr Child Health; 30:476-477. 1994 Nguyen TT, Dyer DL Dunning DD et al: Human intestinal folate transport: cloning, expression, and distribution of complementary RNA. Gastroenterology; 112(3):783-791. 1997 Omenn GS, Beresford SAA, Motulsky AG: Preventing coronary heart disease: B vitamins and homocysteine. Circulation; 97(5):421-424." - Thomson Healthcare, Inc., PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition (Get the book.)

"And yes, there are some genetic disorders, such as having double-Y chromosomes or being born with spina bifida, which is caused by a nutritional deficiency during pregnancy. But I am talking about chronic diseases here that afflict adults over time such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, mental depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and so on. None of these diseases are caused by you having bad genes. In fact, unless you were born with some kind of radical birth defect, you have the genetic code necessary to be a healthy, vibrant human being. Now, how do I know that?" - Mike Adams, The Seven Laws of Nutrition (Get the book.)

"Studies have shown that a daily intake of 400 micrograms of folate in early pregnancy may prevent the vast majority of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly. It may also help to prevent premature birth. To be effective, this regimen must begin before conception and continue for at least the first three months of pregnancy; if a woman waits until she knows she is pregnant, it may be too late, because critical events in fetal development occur during the first six weeks of pregnancy—before many women know that they have conceived." - Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements (Get the book.)

"Including children who are born prematurely or with a low birth weight, considered to be at high risk for developing a special health care need, as well as children with some common chronic health concerns (e.g., asthma) raises the overall prevalence to an estimated 30% [3]. As many as 40% to 60% of children with special health care needs are at risk for one or more problems with nutritional status, ranging from slow growth and poor feeding to more severe gastrointestinal problems and metabolic disorders [4] (also Baer and Herman, 1997, unpublished data)." - Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey, Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease (Get the book.)

"This substance has been proven to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus, when taken in a dosage of 400 meg. daily before pregnancy. If a person waits until pregnant the fetal abnormality is already established. All women of child - bearing age who might become pregnant should be taking 400 mg. of folic acid. Women taking 400 meg. of folic acid also have a decreased risk of heart attack and protection against Alzheimer's Disease and stroke. After 15 years of 400 meg. of folic acid there is a 75% reduction in the number of women who get colon cancer." - James A. Howenstine, A Physician's Guide to Natural Health Products That Work (Get the book.)

"This was an attempt to achieve an across-the-board reduction in neural-tube birth defects such as spina bifida. Since the program started, there has also been a decline in stroke-related deaths that appears to be related. Researchers attribute this decline to the reduction of serum homocysteine levels in the population as a whole. Many experts still recommend that every woman of childbearing age take a folate supplement daily as a matter of course. Folate works best when combined with vitamin B12 and vitamin C. A sore, red tongue is one sign of folate deficiency." - Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements (Get the book.) "A study reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2004 found that women who gave birth to children with spina bifida had vitamin B12 levels that were 21 percent lower than those of mothers who had had healthy children. Vitamin B12 is also linked to the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that assists memory and learning. Vitamin B12 supplementation has been shown to enhance sleep patterns, allowing for more restful and refreshing sleep." - Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements (Get the book.) "Folic acid deficiency is linked to such neurologic birth defects as spina bifida and anencephaly. To prevent these disorders, this B vitamin must be present in the body during the first six weeks following conception, a crucial early phase in fetal neurological development. Since most women do not know they have conceived until several weeks afterward, the best way to prevent these birth defects is for women who are planning to become pregnant to have an adequate supply of this nutrient at all times." - Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements (Get the book.)

"Maybe the new policy (initiated because of the spina bifida experience) is doing much more good beyond pregnancy. Longevity continues to increase, but there are better explanations than folic acid in our bread. Hands-on Modalities According to a recent telephone survey of some 2,000 randomly selected homes, about a third of adult Americans recall back or neck pain during the previous year. Of these, a third participated in complementary treatment acts; a third sought care from a member of my guild; and a quarter played safe and used both." - Nortin M. Hadler, The Last Well Person: How to Stay Well Despite the Health-Care System (Get the book.)

"Anon: Use of folic acid for prevention of spina bifida and other neural tube defects: 1983-1991. MMWR; 4O(30):513-516. 1991 Anon: Vitamin supplements. Med Lett Drugs Ther; 27(693):66-68. 1985 Backman N, Holm A-K, Hanstrom L et al: Folate treatment of diphenylhydantoin-induced gingival hyperplasia. Scand J Dent Res; 97(3):222-232. 1989 Bailey LB: Evaluation of a new recommended dietary allowance for folate. J Am Diet Assoc; 92(4):463-468, 471. 1992 Bazzano LA, Reynolds K, Holder KN, He J." - Thomson Healthcare, Inc., PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition (Get the book.)

"My aunt had two children with spina bifida," she said. "They both died of complications of their problems. John and I've been married for 7 years, and we're ready to have our first child. We don't want to have that happen to our child! I read 2 or 3 years ago that the Public Health Service concluded that folic acid prevents birth defects. When I talked to my mother about it, she gave me a copy of your 1984 book. You had a whole chapter in there about preventing birth defects with folic acid!" "Government 'authorities' are usually the last to know," I replied." - Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Natural Medicine, Optimal Wellness: The Patient's Guide to Health and Healing (Get the book.)

"Type-0 mothers having offspring with Type-A fathers may result in birth defects ofhydatiform mole, choriocarcinoma, spina bifida and anencephaly from maternal incompatibility with fetal nervous and blood tissue; and suffer from blood toxemia in late pregnancy; and increased risk of miscarriage of other blood type fetuses by anti-A and anti-B antibodies." - Joseph E. Mario, Anti-Aging Manual: The Encyclopedia of Natural Health (Get the book.)

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