Folic Acid, Folate, Autism & More

In 2012 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children between the ages of 6 -17 was 1 in 50. This is 200 times greater than it was in the early 1980s. It is highly unlikely that this 200 fold increase is due to more sophisticated diagnostic procedures.

Since the human genetic makeup has not substantially changed in less than 40 years, the most logical conclusion is that autism is more related to toxic exposures from multiple sources. This toxic exposure starts from the time that the parents produce the egg and sperm cells, throughout gestation, after the birth of the baby and throughout life.

It is estimated that Americans, on the average, have 13.1 pounds of toxins entering their bodies every year. These toxins come from; pesticides, chemical fertilizers, food additives, drugs and are hidden in their drinking water. Toxins are swallowed, injected, absorbed through the skin and inhaled. We are also exposed to detrimental electromagnetic energy from cell phones, cell towers, Wi Fi, electrical power lines and all electrical devices.

Sources of great interest are pesticides, glyphosate (Roundup) in particular and electromagnetic energy exposure AKA as "dirty electricity".

Low folate, which is also known as vitamin B9, has been shown to play a role in a number of neurological disorders. Folate is naturally produced by certain gut microbes and since Roundup disrupts the gut bacteria, exposure may lead to a decreased ability to produce folate, leading to a folate deficiency.

Recent research by UC Davis seems to confirm this hypothesis. , The synthetic version of folate is folic acid. They found that taking the recommended amount of folic acid from the time of conception, may lower your child’s risk of pesticide-related autism.

As reported in a UC Davis press release:

“In the study, children whose mothers took 800 or more micrograms [mcg] of folic acid (the amount in most prenatal vitamins) had a significantly lower risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — even when their mothers were exposed to household or agricultural pesticides associated with increased risk …

We found that if the mom was taking folic acid during the window around conception, the risk associated with pesticides seemed to be attenuated,’ said Rebecca J. Schmidt, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and first author on the paper. ‘Mothers should try to avoid pesticides. But if they live near agriculture, where pesticides can blow in, this might be a way to counter those effects.”

Women whose folic acid intake was less than 800 mcg per day and were exposed to pesticides had “a much higher estimated risk of having a child who developed an ASD” compared to those who took the recommended amount and had no pesticide exposure. Repeated pesticide exposures resulted in increasingly higher risk of having a child with ASD.

“Folate plays a critical role in DNA methylation (a process by which genes are turned off or on), as well as in DNA repair and synthesis. These are all really important during periods of rapid growth when there are lots of cells dividing, as in a developing fetus. Adding folic acid might be helping out in a number of these genomic functions.”

While ample folate helps to prevent certain cancers, excessive folic acid (the synthetic form) can encourage tumor growth. According to Seneff, there’s evidence to suggest many Americans are getting far too much folic acid, from fortified processed foods and from supplements, while many are not getting enough folate.

The reason that folic acid does not have the same benefits as folate has to do with the way it is metabolized by the body.

Dr. Ben Lynch is a naturopathic doctor who specializes in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene-related diseases. He also believes folic acid is dangerous. This gene provides instructions for making MTHFR, an enzyme that converts folic acid into methylfolate, the active form of folate.

Mutations in this gene are quite common and causes a reduced ability to properly process folate and folic acid and has been linked to a decreased ability to detoxify. This can lead to a wide range of chronic health problems, including neurological diseases, birth defects and cancers.

A far better alternative to folic acid is L-methylfolate (5-MTHF), sometimes referred to as just methylfolate, which is a biologically active form of this B vitamin. This form appears to be particularly beneficial if you have a MTHFR mutation, since it circumvents the folic acid metabolism cycle.

What To Look For & Why:

1. Nearly half of the population has difficulty converting folic acid into the bioactive form, due to a genetic reduction in enzyme activity.

2. Be careful, since this biologically active form has a name that is hard to distinguish from a non-active form of methylfolate.

3. L-methylfolate and 6(S)-methylfolate, metafolin and quatrefolic are all BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE forms of vitamin B9.

4. D-methylfolate and 6(R)-methylfolate are BIOLOGICALLY INACTIVE and should be avoided

5. BEWARE of supplements that list only “methylfolate” or “5-MTHF” without specifying the exact form, since you don't know what you are getting.

The best way to avoid folate (B9) deficiency is to eat plenty of fresh, raw, organic leafy and green vegetables, especially broccoli, asparagus, spinach and turnip greens.

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