More than 60 countries around the world mandate that folic acid be added to flour to increase fertile women's intake of this B vitamin. It's an effective way to protect newborns from neural tube defects such as spina bifida, a malformation of spinal bones that can cause paralysis. Plus, every woman of childbearing age is urged to take a 400 mcg supplement of folic acid daily and enjoy a diet rich in leafy greens, beans and peas.
In the U.S. it's estimated that since folic-acid-fortified flour was introduced in 1998, around 1,300 babies a year are spared the hardships of those birth defects. But the benefits of sufficient folic acid intake don't stop there.
A new study reveals that exposure in utero to phthalates - a hormone-disrupting chemical found in everything from plastics to shampoo that shows up in pregnant women's urine and mother's breastmilk - is associated with the development of autisticlike traits in boys 3 and 4 years old.
But the research, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, also found that if the mom-to-be got the recommended 400 mcg of folic acid daily during her first trimester, the chance that her son would have those deficits was substantially reduced.
So it's never been more important for women of childbearing age to eat only unprocessed or gently processed foods, avoid plastic packaging as much as possible, opt for phthalate-free personal care products (check online for listings) and take only doctor-prescribed prenatal supplements to make sure you're getting enough - and not too much - of important nutrients.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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