Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/307386
Page 14 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com Fully Active FolAte Folate is a B vitamin, and since the body cannot make it from scratch we have to obtain it from foods or dietary supplements. Folate is important for brain health all across the lifespan. Yet folate deficiency is the most prevalent vitamin deficiency worldwide. Foods supply limited amounts of folates that are generally not well absorbed. Those folates that are absorbed normally become converted into MethylTetraHydroFolate (MTHF), mostly by the liver. MTHF is the body's most active folate, required by the majority of enzymes that rely on folate. Crucial For The Brain To Develop And Mature Fully active folate is essential for the brain's development, maturation, and ongoing renewal thru old age. It also is crucial for the brain's "plasticity," its capacity to adapt to changing life circumstances. The brain has special protein transporters that use energy to pump MTHF from the blood into the brain cells. The brain's reliance on MTHF starts at its very beginning – in the womb. As the fetal nerve cord and then the brain become formed at about 4-5 weeks after conception, MTHF from the mother is used to produce the DHA, RNA, proteins, phospholipids, and other biological molecules that make a functioning brain. The brain continues to have a crucial requirement for fully active folate from birth and across the lifespan. Fully active folate is a key nutrient for the brain to recover from injury, and otherwise adapt to life changes, at any age. In particular, the hippocampus and the amygdala, those brain zones most important for memory and learning, rely for their healthy functioning on ongoing supplies of fully active folate. Folate: Promotes Healthy, Mood, Memory, Behavior Individuals deficient in MTHF are more prone to mood difficulties, and often also have cognitive difficulties. The statistical links between folate status and healthy mood management, and between folate and cognitive functions, have been researched in a number of population survey studies. The results from several of these studies consistently showed that the higher an individual's folate levels, the lower their chance for mood or cognitive difficulties. When the benefits from oral supplementation with MTHF were compared against placebo in controlled trials, MTHF performed markedly better than placebo. Supplementation with MTHF significantly improves the likelihood of mood benefit, the speed of benefit, and the degree of benefit, and without serious side effects.