Hi, Robert...
Folate (AKA Vitamin B 9) is the natural form -- an anion -- found in leafy
vegetables, dry beans, peas and cereal grains prior to processing. The term
comes from the Latin word for leaf, folium. Folic acid is the manufactured
form used to fortify foodstuffs or to supply folate-equivelancy in vitamin
preparations. As the modern diet does not usually provide enough of this
substance, it is usually added to cereal grain products such as breakfast
cereals.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Kesterson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, 23 February, 2006 12:31 PM
Subject: Re: Syndrome X
> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 07:56:44 -0600, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> No, I think homocysteine is probably an independent risk factor for
>> heart disease. ... Homocysteine, of course, is a metabolite of the
>> amino acid methionine, which is abundant in meats. Folic acid and
>> vitamins B6 and B12 are needed in abundance to keep homocysteine levels
>> low. It's not especially easy to get a lot of folic acid on a paleo
>> diet.
>
> Are "Folate" and "Folic acid" the same thing? The program I use to track
> my nutrition lists both of them in the report I generated. It says my
> daily average for the last 4 months for Folate is 632 mcg (158% of the
> RDA), but my daily average of folic acid is only 3 mcg (1% of RDA). If
> these are actually the same thing, then it's probably just a bungled entry
> in a database someplace using one where they meant the other. But if
> they're not the same thing, I'm concerned. My B6 and B12 levels are good
> (both over 400% of the RDA). In fact, other than folic acid, *all* the
> nutritional items it tracks are well over RDA levels except Calcium and
> vitamin D (which is why I take a supplement containing both, at least
> during the winter months).
>
> So ... Are "folate" and "Folic acid" the same thing, or not?
>
> And FWIW, I can't stand liver either. ;-)
>
> --
> Robert Kesterson
> [log in to unmask]
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