March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Getting enough fiber and b vitamins especially folate is important for preventing this type of cancer.

Folate is found in dark leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, citrus fruits, beans, peas, lentils, avocado, okra, Brussels sprouts

A lot of food products claim to also contain this vitamin, but it is actually the synthetic form and NOT the same as folate.

50 percent of people cannot break synthetic folic acid down in their system and it can be harmful in excess.

Research has shown that excess folic acid intake can be problematic for the following reasons:

If you are consuming a lot of enriched foods you may be getting more than the recommended intake of folic acid. Incidences of cancer have been seen as a risk of excessive intake of synthetic folic acid.
Cancer increased in a study of Norway ischemic heart patients who were given treatment with folic acid and B12 had increased cancer outcomes with high mortality risk.
In the US, Canada, and Chile, a program where folic acid was supplemented resulted in an increased occurrence of colon cancer.
Another study showed daily supplementation of 1 mg folic acid increased the risk of prostate cancer.
Overall research on folic acid shows there may be a connection to folic acid and increased cancer rates. It is hypothesized that it could cause the growth of neoplasms.
High levels of folic acid may inhibit immunity. Killer t cells that help fight tumors could be harmed and not able to do their jobs.
B12 deficiency could be masked by the high levels of folic acid in your body. This can lead to a host of problems like nervous system problems, dementia and may be lead to misdiagnoses

Have questions about folic acid in your diet or want to be tested to see if you have the mutation that will prevent you from breaking down folic acid? Contact me to learn more

Sources:
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/136/1/189/4664109
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15824266
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/85/1/193/4753661