I'm pre-pregnant, you're pre-pregnant, we're all pre-pregnant!

In the latest attempt to shift pre-natal responsibility to women at large, or in this case to the general public, the UK has decided to fortify flours with folic acid to reduce birth defects. Note that it is possible to overdose on folic acid, but this 'probably won't happen' with this plan. The main argument seems to be that poorer women are especially likely to have low folic acid levels, but wouldn't this particular problem be more easily solved by handing out folic acid supplements on request, instead of sticking it in everyone's food?

Supplements would make more sense, but then there’s the problem of getting poorer women to take them. And if folic acid would be added to flour, does than mean all those tasty donuts, muffins, etc. would be fortified? That would make them health food! Mmm! Thank Gawd at my age I’m permanently post-pregnant.

Those most likely to overdose will be the women who take prenatal vitamins with folic acid. Which sounds interesting, in public health terms.

We already fortify flour and rice here in the US. It didn’t reduce birth defects. Coincidentally, the way the flour is fortified is also the way that ranchers fortify livestock feed in order to get the animals to gain weight quickly. It is difficult to get an animal to overeat unless you add megadoses of B vitamins to their feed. I think this has more to do with selling more junk food than public health, but politicians know that you can pass any law if you say it’s for the babies. Our fortification of flour correlates nicely with our obesity crisis and record profits for junk food corporations.

Quote
happyhiker
We already fortify flour and rice here in the US. It didn’t reduce birth defects. Coincidentally, the way the flour is fortified is also the way that ranchers fortify livestock feed in order to get the animals to gain weight quickly. It is difficult to get an animal to overeat unless you add megadoses of B vitamins to their feed. I think this has more to do with selling more junk food than public health, but politicians know that you can pass any law if you say it’s for the babies. Our fortification of flour correlates nicely with our obesity crisis and record profits for junk food corporations.

Interesting correlation. I had no idea about vitamin B megadoses and obesity. thanks!

I don't know if it's such a good idea to fortify the food supply with medication, vitamins or supplements. It should be up to each individual person what sorts of things they wish to ingest. They shouldn't force it onto people who don't want to have it.

In another thread, I can't remember which one, I mentioned that i take Biotin supplements for my hair, skin and nails. I find that it does work for that stuff. I also take other supplements which are to maintain blood health and build a healthy immunity system. I would, however, not be so happy to be forced into taking supplements that I don't wish or need to take.

I'm also quite offended by the notion that all women are just pre-pregnant. I take Biotin, and I'm going to be fifty this coming December. The baybee-train has long left the station. If anyone asked me, I'd just be laughing at them.

Quote
Peace

Quote
happyhiker
We already fortify flour and rice here in the US. It didn’t reduce birth defects. Coincidentally, the way the flour is fortified is also the way that ranchers fortify livestock feed in order to get the animals to gain weight quickly. It is difficult to get an animal to overeat unless you add megadoses of B vitamins to their feed. I think this has more to do with selling more junk food than public health, but politicians know that you can pass any law if you say it’s for the babies. Our fortification of flour correlates nicely with our obesity crisis and record profits for junk food corporations.

Interesting correlation. I had no idea about vitamin B megadoses and obesity. thanks!

Maybe gluten sensitivity (or wheat sensitivity) is related to these vitamin B megadoses for some people?

Even if it was fortified, wouldn't they have to eat a shitload of it to get the proper amount anyway? I know getting nutrients and vitamins from food is ideal, but you also get all you need from supplements, often in gross excess too. Like honestly who needs 700% of the daily recommended dose of vitamin C? Even foods and drinks touted as "good sources of Vitamin (WTF ever)" usually only have a fraction of that vitamin.

Also, wouldn't cooking the flour destroy the folic acid? I've seen cooking videos that call for baking flour for 5 or so minutes to kill bacteria that might be lurking in it, essentially sterilizing it. Can folic acid withstand normal baking temperatures and cooking times? Sounds like this fortifying bullshit is just a way for companies to charge twice as much for a "healthy" product by adding in specks of vitamins that cost fractions of cents.

This (brief) source:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004060310200103X
... says that when folic acid is exposed to heat, "the vitamin was ultimately degraded to carbon fragments and that further identification was not necessary." The temperatures folic acid was exposed to were not listed, but this study seems to suggest that when heated, folic acid gets cremated. And since I can't personally think of many ways of using raw flour, this would render any vitamins in it useless.

So I wonder how long it'll take for some expectant Moo to OD on folic acid and sue whoever makes the flour.

I read somewhere that folic acid can make cancer cells grow and that's a bad idea. There are people walking around who are not aware they have cancer.

The very word pre-pregnant just enrages me.

I know I am NOT prepregnant because the womb and eggs got tossed in the medical trash bin.

+++++++++++++

Passive Aggressive
Master Of Anti-brat
Excuses!