Folate and cancer: now you need me, now you don't
Folate may be the ultimate nutrient for methylation but that doesn't mean that supplementation should be universal, especially not for cancer patients.
There is something deeply unsettling about the way folate has become one of the most supplemented nutrients on the planet. Found abundantly in dark leafy greens, legumes, and liver — foods humans have eaten for millennia — the molecule is now sold in bottles, soon to be added (in debatable form) to processed grains by statute, and recommended reflexively to pregnant women.
There is no question that dietary folate is better than bottled, but dietary intake is not enough for some people. That may be because of your food choices, your gut, your genes or your environment. There are circumstances where folate supplementation may be the right thing to do (although ‘can’t be arsed to cook’ is not one of them) but cancer patients need to be careful not to compromise their treatment aims.
This post is about all of that.
Treat yourself to a massage…
I know I am privileged to have your attention, week on week. and I don’t take it for granted. I only ever write about the things you need to know about - the stuff that still grabs my attention, thirty years after my own diagnosis, over and above all the other beautiful things I want to do with my one, precious life. If it resonates with you, if it helps you to be well, or helps others to be well, then please consider supporting my work. Think of it as the price of a good massage - but for your brain!
