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| | The Let Your Sunshine In Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Alcohol, Folate and Breast Cancer | Views: 684 | | Feb 03, 2006 8:14 am | | Alcohol, Folate and Breast Cancer | # |
awa | | I read an article in a medical journal, Medical Progress January issue, that drinking alcohol could increase the risk of breast cancer in women. In fact, women who drank 40g or more of alcohol daily had a nonsignificant 41% increase in risk of breast cancer compared with nondrinkers.
However, the good news is, high folate intake can protect against the effects of alcohol significantly. Studies have shown that dietary folate protects against the increased risk of breast cancer associated with drinking alcohol.
Private Reply to awa | | Feb 05, 2006 11:26 am | | re: Alcohol, Folate and Breast Cancer | # | 
Nita Lopez | | Folate: What is it?
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and added to fortified foods [1].
Folate gets its name from the Latin word "folium" for leaf. A key observation of researcher Lucy Wills nearly 70 years ago led to the identification of folate as the nutrient needed to prevent the anemia of pregnancy. Dr. Wills demonstrated that the anemia could be corrected by a yeast extract. Folate was identified as the corrective substance in yeast extract in the late 1930s, and was extracted from spinach leaves in 1941.
Folate helps produce and maintain new cells [2]. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer [3]. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia [4]. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.
What foods provide folate?
Leafy green vegetables (like spinach and turnip greens), fruits (like citrus fruits and juices), and dried beans and peas are all natural sources of folate [5].
In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published regulations requiring the addition of folic acid to enriched breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice, and other grain products [6-9]. Since cereals and grains are widely consumed in the U.S., these products have become a very important contributor of folic acid to the American diet. The following table suggests a variety of dietary sources of folate.
NitaPrivate Reply to Nita Lopez | | Feb 05, 2006 11:28 am | | re: Alcohol, Folate and Breast Cancer | # |
Nita Lopez | | http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/folate.asp#ref
To read more.
NitaPrivate Reply to Nita Lopez | | |
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