Folic Acid Test
There is a story making the rounds today regarding the Government of Canada's requirement that folic acid be added to certain flours and pastas. This requirement became law in 1998. The theory is that by increasing the amount of folic acid that women consume the rate of neural-tube defects (like spina bifida) would decrease. The theory proved true as the rates of these types of defects has decreased substantially.
Today a study has come out stating that there may be a link between the consumption of folic acid and the rate at which pre-cancerous polyps turn in to cancers - prostate, colon and others. As it stands this is not proven and remains a theory - but it raises multiple questions in my mind. and reminds me of a situation that my family faced many years ago.
The fact is that we do not understand the human body completely. There may be some systems within it that we understand fairly well but when you begin tackling the interdependence and interactions of the various systems are level of knowledge drops dramatically. If you add the genomics and proteomics we become more confused and, ultimately, ignorant.
Ceteris paribus.
To get around our lack of knowledge we throw up assumptions just like we do in all other fields. If all other things remain equal, if we take this particular gene on its own and ignore the rest, if we assume that the person has a healthy diet, blah blah blah. By doing this we are able to come to conclusions and to "prove" theories. Unfortunately nature is not so simple.
Eleven years ago my wife had a miscarriage. We were confused and in a daze sitting in the hospital and wondered why us - turns out why not us? The doctor at UBC Hospital was amazing and he explained to us how common they are and how they often occur without women even knowing it. He told us how impossibly complex the processes that must occur in the woman are and how, consequently, so many things can go wrong. Those of us who are what we call healthy are among the lucky ones really.
We need to stop trying to control nature. Human beings will be born with defects. Some will live old others will die young. Some will never come to term. There is no acid test - no way to guarantee the authenticity of life and of health. All the studies in the world will not rid you of the multiple risks (pathogens, viruses, bacteria, genes, defects) that you will face knowingly or not. We can continue to try understanding nature but to stop coming out with such strong statements for or against certain diets, supplements, activities.
Rather than putting into law the need for folic acid why not educate people on the values of eating leafy vegetables, of beans, bananas, broccoli and peas. These are all natural sources of folic acid and they bring with them a bunch more nutrients. Just eat healthy, exercise, reduce stress and increase happiness.
Just - I know, I know.
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