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Why testing serum folic acid?

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
According to this article:
http://chriskresser.com/folate-vs-folic-acid
folic acid is a synthetic form of folate that is not found in food. This is what I've understood so far.

My question is... why the heck 99% of ordinary blood works test for folic acid??
For example in Europe we don't have fortified food, so I wonder why doctors check folate levels of their patients by measuring a synthetic surrogate that doesn't come from the diet?

In other words if my diet is rich in folate and I don't take any folic-acid supplements, why looking for the latter?

Maybe I am overlooking something...

Thanks
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
There are a lot of fortified foods, just not automatically in white flour. Don't you have vitamin cereals? Vitamin energy drinks? Vitamin nutrition bars? Things like Ensure?

As to why do they test for folic acid, maybe it is a language problems? To many, even in medicine, folic acid and folate have become synonymous.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
I am in Italy and most of the products here have no extra vitamins added, in particular folic acid. Even if one exclusively buys food at the supermarket the percentage of vitaminized products is very low. I have yet to find a product that is fortified with folic acid. Maybe it's just me, I haven't eaten much processed food in the last 10 years or so...

So are you saying that where the test says "folic acid" is actually meaning generic "folate"? That would probably explain it. Thanks
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
I am in Italy and most of the products here have no extra vitamins added, in particular folic acid. Even if one exclusively buys food at the supermarket the percentage of vitaminized products is very low. I have yet to find a product that is fortified with folic acid. Maybe it's just me, I haven't eaten much processed food in the last 10 years or so...

So are you saying that where the test says "folic acid" is actually meaning generic "folate"? That would probably explain it. Thanks

I eat almost no processed food. I'm a pretty decent cook. I like to start with fresh ingredients. I have an organic garden of a 300 sq. feet of raised beds, plenty of veggies for 2 of us and to give away 2/3 of what we grow to friends and family. I'm having a tough time teaching my D-I-L to cook and eat without prepared foods. They hardly eat veggies. However, I can overdo it on folate from veggies. Using smaller amounts of b1, b2 and b3 controls to some extent how bad the paradoxical folate deficiency is for me.
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
You mean b1-b2-b3 help you compensate the folate problem? What dosages would you use?

What do you mean "compensate" the folate problem. I don't understand. Please say specifically what you mean. Too much B1 and/or B2 and/or B3 can cause insatiable need for potassium and/or methylfolate. Too much stops healing and makes for awful symptoms.


For me I find that these ranges produce satisfactory results, including b-complex, other things contain b-vitamins and separate supplements.

  1. B1 - Thiamine, 30-50mg/day divided into 2 doses
  2. B2 - Riboflavin, 20-30mg/day divided into 2 doses
  3. B3 - Niacin - 100-140mg/day divided into 2 doses
The only way to find what the best doses are is to perhaps increment B1 and B2 by 5mg each couple of weeks with 10mg increments of B3. Somewhere in there is a "sweet spot" of a good rate of healing and a reasonable methylfolate and potassium dose. Some were reporting potassium needs to more than 3000mg of potassium (a lot more sometimes) without slowing down the low potassium symptoms and often 20 or 30mg of methylfolate wouldn't satisfy the deficiency symptoms
 

knackers323

Senior Member
Messages
1,625
I eat almost no processed food. I'm a pretty decent cook. I like to start with fresh ingredients. I have an organic garden of a 300 sq. feet of raised beds, plenty of veggies for 2 of us and to give away 2/3 of what we grow to friends and family. I'm having a tough time teaching my D-I-L to cook and eat without prepared foods. They hardly eat veggies. However, I can overdo it on folate from veggies. Using smaller amounts of b1, b2 and b3 controls to some extent how bad the paradoxical folate deficiency is for me.

How do you know when you have had too much folate from veggies?

What symptoms arise? And how long do they take to surface?