Julie Quantum Leaps

A recent study shows that extra Folic Acid increases your chance of developing cancer. “So what?” you say? Doesn’t everything cause cancer in excess? Perhaps, but do you know how much folic acid you consume in a day and why?

On January 1, 1998, the FDA started requiring the addition of folic acid to enriched breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas, and other grain products. So chances are you get a nice hefty dose every day. What?? Is this some conspiratorial plot by the government to kill us all? Or perhaps a plot by the pharma companies who make billions and billions a year on cancer treatment? Hmm, actually let me get back to you on that. Until then, let’s assume this is just an innocent lesson in irony.

Folate, the natural form of folic acid, is necessary to synthesize and repair DNA, among other things. Deficiency can cause defects in developing embryos. So the FDA decided gee, we need to catch those embryos early and women don’t always know they’re pregnant, so how can they be taking a supplement? They then had the brilliant idea to fortify basic food products that EVERYONE eats, with folic acid. Because hey, it’s healthy for everyone and we’ll catch those embryos early. Well, thing is… if you’re not a pregnant woman, you don’t need the extra folic acid. In fact, it may just be giving you cancer. But aren’t you glad we caught all those embryos?

Don’t get me wrong. It’s great that extra folic acid saves babies from being born with defects. It’s the method that the FDA employed to do so that’s ridiculous.

This same one-size-fits-all method is also being done with salt. But salt causes high blood pressure, surely salt is a bad thing. Guess what? Salt does NOT cause high blood pressure. Only a percentage of those with high blood pressure is caused by salt/sodium. So even if you have high blood pressure, cutting down your sodium is a blanket across the board let’s just be safe because it might help. Sure, it might, but sodium is VITAL to keep your heart pumping. Sodium and potassium work together. Calcium and magnesium work together. These 4 are electrolytes. Then the sodium/potassium work together with the calcium/magnesium. Too much potassium can cause low blood pressure.

BALANCE is key when it comes to electrolytes (or anything really). We’ve lost control of eating what our bodies need. We listen to advertising, and make no mistake, those ad men are very very good at what they do. And the government gets involved, and make no mistake about that, the corporations fuel those decisions and regulations. In fact, the FDA reads like a who’s who of a corporate boardroom.

So let’s try this. Keep track for a day of what foods you eat and how much folic acid that adds up to in a day. I’m curious. Comment and let me know. Oh and let me know if you’re pregnant or not.