Freaked about folic?

Out of all the things that could cause alarm, I never thought folic acid would be one of them. Especially when there are ghosts, and aliens, and serial killers running amok. (Have you ever seen the show Sightings??...and almost every night when we climb into bed Matt starts softly – eerily – singing, “Aaaaalllieeens, come into our roooooom.” This is what I have to put up with.)

I've been taking a mighty dose of Pentasa for years and was only semi-recently told it leeches folic acid from your system. I am taking folic acid supplements. Of course, I’m also on prenatal vitamins which have folic acid so I’m sure my oozing the stuff, but the importance of these micronutrients (B9, iodine, and so on) was documented on pregnant women in developing nations in a recent piece for the Times by Nicholas Kristof, who I may or may not have a crush on.

Of course I live a plush life in the U.S., but for those of us who are already dealing with malabsorbtion and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, I didn't realize the severity of having a B9 deficiency. It's especially sobering how easy it is to get these nutrients (and how cheaply), and then realize the many who cannot.

Op-Ed Columnist
World’s Healthiest Food
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: January 3, 2010
There’s scarcely a form of foreign aid more cost-effective than getting micronutrients like folic acid into the food supply.