Posted on 06/11/2006 9:39:08 PM PDT by Moonman62
Folic acid is not a "drug."
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin in the B-complex group.
ping
ping
Very interesting and promising.
More evidence that vitamins are good for you.
Why not? I think folic acid is being called a drug because of the way it's being used and its effect.
It is not a drug.
It is a member of the B-Complex group.
FOLIC ACID
Alternative names
Vitamin B-9; Folate; Diet - folic acid; Pteroylglutamic acid
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin in the B-complex group.
Folic acid works along with vitamin B-12 and vitamin C to help the body digest and utilize proteins and to synthesize new proteins when they are needed. It is necessary for the production of red blood cells and for the synthesis of DNA (which controls heredity and is used to guide the cell in its daily activities).
Folic acid also helps with tissue growth and cell function. In addition, it helps to increase appetite when needed and stimulates the formation of digestive acids.
Synthetic folic acid supplements may be used in the treatment of disorders associated with folic acid deficiency and may also be part of the recommended treatment for certain menstrual problems and leg ulcers.
Food Sources
Beans and legumes
Citrus fruits and juices
Wheat bran and other whole grains
Dark green leafy vegetables
Liver
Folic acid deficiency may cause poor growth, graying hair, inflammation of the tongue (glossitis), mouth ulcers, peptic ulcer, and diarrhea. It may also lead to certain types of anemias. Toxicity from excessive folic acid intake does not normally occur, as folic acid is water soluble and regularly excreted by the body.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002408.htm
Yes, it's a vitamin. But it's also a chemical that has the same or better effect as rarer and more expensive drugs. What would a rose be by any other name?
The medical industry wants to control it.
So they try to call it a drug.
It is not.
In this case it is a vitamin being used as a drug, specifically for the prevention or cure of a disease, which fits the definition of a drug.
My doctor told me that selenium is good to take also, to help prevent cancer.
BUMP!
Vitamin supplements for poor diets are supposed to reflect an amount meeting physiologic requirements.
When something is given in pharmacologic doses to treat a precancerous lesion, in this case leukoplakia, this vitamin is now a drug because of the dose.
I'm not a pharmacist, but I had to study pharmacology.
I think the FDA classifies this as a food don't they ?
I don't know. I think it may depend on the dose.
That should be obvious.
Folic acid is found in
beans and legumes
citrus fruits and juices
wheat bran and other whole grains
dark green leafy vegetables
liver
The last I heard none of the above are "drugs."
The medical Industry wants to take over anything that is admitted to help a disease.
The word "drug" in the headline is a red flag telling me they are in the process of attempting that.
I read a similar article years ago where they tried the same thing with niacin, another member of the B-Complex group which causes the blood to circulate faster and is good for people past a certain age.
That article on niacin tried to call it a "drug," which it is not.
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I believe you are correct. My vitamin bottle lists 400 mcg as the RDA for Folic Acid. In the study, they were giving 5000 mcg three times a day. At that mega dose level, I can see why they would want to monitor the person taking that amount.
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