The Best Sandwich for Annie; Beware Folic Acid
We sneaked away to Chincoteague over the weekend. School isn’t over yet, but it sure felt like summer vacation. Too bad Annie had her French final today. At least she got to enjoy her favorite sandwich from our favorite sandwich shop down there, Sea Star. It’s baby shrimp with lemon and dill on a croissant. I ordered it myself to see what all the fuss was about. The shrimp were perfectly tender, the dill was fresh and flavorful, and the lemon makes the sandwich sparkle. Good choice Annie.
In the news… Too Much of a Good Thing
While we were away I had the chance to catch up on some of my magazine subscriptions including the April issue of “Prevention”. The one article that really caught my attention was “Is Your Breakfast Giving You Cancer?” What a disturbing thought. The culprit is the folic acid which seems to be lurking throughout our food supply including rice, bread, and especially the enriched grains that can be found in breakfast cereal, nutrition bars, and some beverages. The push to add folic acid into our food supply began back in 1998 when scientists realized it would help protect fetuses from certain birth defects if their mothers had an adequate supply of this vitamin. The unintended consequence to this good objective is the increase in colon, prostate and lung cancers after this supplementation began. There is no danger from the natural form of folate which the body can process and use as needed. It’s the synthetic form of folic acid that may causes some people problems. The bottom line is that you should be fine if you don’t eat an overabundance of these fortified foods, nor take a multivitamin. Perhaps the government needs to rethink medicating all of us for the sake of a few? There’s got to be a better way to deliver the vitamin where it’s needed, and only where it’s needed.
The article also warned about a few other vitamins that can be harmful if taken in excess. Vitamin A can increase the risk of stroke and overall mortality; Vitamin E taken in high doses can increase the risk of lung cancer and a shorter life span; iron in men and post menopausal women can also contribute to the risk of cancer. If you have concerns about the correct levels of these vitamins for your own personal health situation, you should speak with your doctor. In the meantime, remember that there can be too much of a good thing.
Comments
3 Responses to “The Best Sandwich for Annie; Beware Folic Acid”
Got something to say?
Seems much like the fluoride controversy of the 1960′s!
If you have a good shrimp sandwich why worry about too much folic acid.
It does kind of put everything else out of mind!