Posted by kathryn in Folate

I stuffed up during this week’s Q&A Thursday. I was asked what would happen if you lived on pasta – no sauce, no cheese, just pasta alone. In my answer I stated, this diet would leave you malnourished and would ultimately lead to death. I also said that, along with vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the individual would suffer from a protein deficiency . It’s this bit I’m wrong on. As one reader pointed out, pasta does contain some protein, enough …

Read more 30 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Folate

A follow up to my posts about folic acid fortification here in Australia, new research from the UK has linked depression to low folate levels. Last month, the Food Standards Agency in the UK put forward a recommendation that either bread or flour be fortified with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. It has been suggested that this latest research means fortification may help with depression. The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health , comprised …

Read more 29 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Folate

Fortification is always a controversial policy. Food Standards Australia New Zealand ( FSANZ ) have led the move to mandatory fortification and have been considering this issue since May 2004. In their opinion, mandatory fortification is the most effective, the safest and most economically viable way to reduce neural tube defects. On the other hand, the Australian Food and Grocery Council , who represent food manufacturers, have stated that reducing NTDs requires a public health solution, not medication of the …

Read more 27 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Folate

As I posted yesterday, folate is a vitamin we all need. Our bodies use it in DNA replication, for catalysing cell growth and repair, as well as in making red blood cells. It’s found in a number of different foods. Women are advised to take folate supplements in pregnancy, to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). These are a group of birth defects which include spina bifida and anencephaly. It’s estimated that up to 70% of NTDs are preventable through increasing …

Read more 27 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Folate

Following the news that bread-making flour is going to be fortified with folic acid, I thought it timely to look at what folate is and why we need it. h3. What is folate? Folate is one of the B vitamins, it’s B9 and in our bodies it’s used in the production of new cells and the replication of DNA. It also plays a part in the maintenance of existing cells, by assisting protein production. Folate is needed to make red …

Read more 26 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Folate

A decision was made last week by the Food Regulation Ministerial Council, that wheat flour used in bread-making would be fortified with folic acid. Until now, the fortification of foods with folic acid has been voluntary, here in Australia. Manufacturers have been able to choose to put folic acid in their foods and then include a health claim on the packaging. Over the next two years however, a mandatory code is being phased in. This will require all wheat …

Read more 26 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Folate

This is a side dish I make a lot – it’s quick, easy, incredibly good for you and very tasty, which are four very good things from one recipe. One of the most exciting things at my dinner party (for me anyway), was how enthusiastically everyone tucked into this dish – in fact it was the greens that disappeared first! Green vegetables are supremely good for you – they contain iron, folate, magnesium and calcium, but they’re also packed full …

Read more 05 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Folate

FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) is currently considering the mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid (the artificial form of folate), aiming to reduce the number of babies born with neural tube defects . This article in The Australian covers the main points of the debate. I’ve linked to this before, but there’s a handy dietary folate counter on the Choice website, so you can calculate the amount of folate in your diet. Technorati tags: folate fortification , “neural …

Read more 21 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Folate

I had a wonderful dinner last night. It was just me at home, so I wanted something quick, easy and tasty. Plus I had some tofu, bok choy and asparagus in the fridge and wanted to use them up. I’ve been playing around with Google Coop over the last few days – setting up some specialised search engines for finding healthy recipes and good health information. Rather than googling the whole world, you can select a group of sites …

Read more 10 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Folate

Last night my kitchen was a MESS. One lazy night, followed by one late-home (and therefore cooking late) night meant the stove top was a mess, the dishwasher was full until overflowing and it seemed like every single pan and piece of cutlery had already been used. However, I was home early, which meant I had time to cook and clean up, which made this recipe from Albion Cooks very attractive. While it does take about an hour to …

Read more 08 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Folate

Another topic I’m frequently asked about is frozen vegetables: is there any point in eating them? h3. Why do we eat vegetables? We eat vegetables for many reasons. They contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that we need, and can’t get from other foods. Vegies are also high in fibre, which is important for bowel health. Without vegetables in your diet, you’re likely to be deficient in key nutrients and missing out on important antioxidants. Diets low in vegetables are …

Read more 06 October, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Folate

Through a variety of circumstances and shopping errors I’ve ended up with over three dozen eggs in the house. They’re all lovely fresh and organic, but Richard is away and I’m thinking that’s a LOT of eggs to get though by myself. I HATE wasting food, so expect a few egg recipe posts over the next couple of weeks! Fortunately I’m a great admirer of the egg, they’re such a perfect little nutrition pack, easy to use and highly adaptable. ...

Read more 08 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Folate

As promised, here is the recipe for my home-made muesli. h3. Why have muesli for breakfast? This muesli is a great way to start the day: * the combination of grains contain potassium, magnesium, iron, fibre and protein * the nuts and seeds add more protein, potassium and magnesium, as well as zinc, folate and Omega 3 essential fatty acids * the dried fruit provides iron, yet more potassium and fibre, while fruits like apricots and cranberries also add …

Read more 07 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Folate

I have been talking today about folate – what it’s used for, why we need it, where we get it from and so on. My next article in Wellbeing magazine is also on folate. Folate is one of the B vitamins (B9), which we all need, it’s integral to DNA replication, cell growth and repair, as well as the formation of red blood cells. Folate is found in a wide variety of foods including lentils and legumes, green leafy vegetables, ...

Read more 11 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Folate

We eat food for many reasons: to keep us alive; for energy; for comfort and reassurance; as part of interacting with friends and family; because we enjoy it. However we also eat food because it provides us with nutrients. The old adage ‘we are what we eat’ is true, food supplies us with the building blocks that make up our bodies, as well as the fuel to run it and the ability to make the enzymes that catalyse the biochemical …

Read more 17 June, 2006