Quite a few women in Cleveland are planning their pregnancies; thinking about the next pregnancy in terms of a sibling for their other baby, crossing their fingers they get pregnant for the first time, timing the birth to avoid being pregnant in the hottest months in this town (July and August!). If you’re the type of girl that plans and prepares remember this: folate, the water soluble B vitamin which can prevent neural tube defects in babies, is most effect in the first few weeks of your pregnancy. Before most women even know they are pregnant. If any women think they may be pregnant or are thinking about getting pregnant, don’t forget the folate.
Folate, the reduced form of folic acid, is found in food and in the body. Folate functions in the pregnant body to support rapid cell division, a literal definition of a growing baby. Folate also helps to maintain normal levels of red blood cells which supply oxygen in the body. Folate may play a role in reducing coronary artery disease by reducing the levels of homocysteine in the body and folate deficiency is thought to increase the development of colon cancer and dementia. Recently clinical studies are suggesting that adequate levels of active folate are linked to an alleviation of the symptoms of depression.
Folate is essential for the health of a baby. Because folate is critical for cell division (it participates in the making of the nucleus for the cell and for amino acid synthesis) the lack of folate in the body, whether from inadequate intake or an abnormal metabolism of the vitamin, is linked to neural tube defects. The brain, spinal cord and nervous system all develop by the eighth week of pregnancy and continue to grow throughout the pregnancy. Any nutrient deficiency from folate to calcium can affect the growing fetus during this time. The article Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis of Neural Tube Defects, updated January 2011, states “Neural tube defects are the second most prevalent congenital programs… combined with periconceptional folic acid supplementation and food fortification have led to a decrease in the prevalence of neural tube defects where these interventions are practiced.” and “folate supplementation has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects”. The bottom line for folate and pregnancies is to take the prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements as soon as you think you are pregnant and even before if you’re trying to become pregnant.
Folate for depression is receiving some attention and may apply to pregnant women who are suffering from depression. People who experience depression may suffer from an imbalance of three mood stabilizing chemical messengers in the body: serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Ingesting the active form of folate, L-methylfolate, enables this active form to crossover the blood brain barrier assisting in the making of these three neurotransmitters. Recent research has seen the benefits of folate therapy. L-methylfolate Plus SSRI or SNRI from Treatment Initiation Compared to SSRI or SNRI Monotherapy in a Major Depressive Episode, by Ginsberg, LD, Oubre, AY, & Daoud, YA, showed 40% improvement of functional impairment in people with major depressive episodes.
The bottom line for folate and depression is to consult your physician to see if this newer therapy works for you and, most importantly, don’t forget about folate in your present pregnancy for a healthy, active baby in your future.
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