Vitamin B9 otherwise known as Folate, can help with lowering the risk of stroke that kills 1 in 4 people worldwide each year. This is according to recent research into how Folate is crucial to proper brain functioning and the health of the blood vessels within the brain. The Vitamin B9 helps the body to turn food into fuel and the brain uses it to function properly.
The research from Harvard University indicates that the average American has around 100 to 150 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily from fortified grain products. Yet combining grains with folic acid also raises blood sugar levels and this increases the risk of metabolic syndrome that can lead to high blood pressure.
An uncontrolled high blood pressure can eventually lead to stroke. It does this by damaging and weakening blood vessels within the brain and this causes the blood vessels to become narrow, rupture or leak. Blood clots can form in the arteries leading to the brain and when blood flow is blocked, it can cause a stroke. Symptoms of a stroke include a sudden and severe headache, dizziness, slurring of words, along with numbness or weakness along one side of the body. The face may also have fallen on one side and the person may not be able to raise both arms and keep them up, or be capable of speaking clearly.
Why Folate?
Folate otherwise known as Vitamin B9 is essential for proper brain function and the health of the blood vessels. This supplies the brain with B9 and helps the body turn food into fuel that the brain uses to function properly.
Recommended Levels of Folate
The recommended daily intake of Vitamin B9 is 400mcg and while this is fine for preventing deficiency, it’s not enough for good health. Beans are meant to have the most folate, while other good sources include asparagus, broccoli and turnip greens amongst other kind of vegetables. Citrus fruits are also a good source of folate.
The body is very good at converting natural folate into a form that is necessary and crosses the blood brain barrier, benefiting the brain and the blood vessels where the strokes occur.
If you must supplement with Vitamin B9, then it’s highly recommended to take 800mcg a day of natural folate and not ‘folic acid’ if possible. All B-vitamins are water-soluble so the body doesn’t store them and it’s therefore important to replenish often with a natural supplement.
Why Folate and Not Folic Acid?
Folic acid is not the natural form of folate and cannot be absorbed by 25% of the population. Folate is required within the creation of every cell in your body. People with a MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) genetic disorder find that they cannot activate folic acid and that this may be disrupting other processes including neurotransmitter production, detoxifying estrogen and the production of a usable form of Vitamin B12. The result is brain fog, anxiety, fatigue and an increased risk of cancers, strokes, diabetes, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s. For this reason, Folate is essential for maximum absorption and effect.
Recommended Examples
Here are some of the recommended products to take to ensure you get enough Folate into your body...
B4 Health Spray is a combination of B-Vitamins including 400mcg of Folate (as 6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid) (equivalent to 800mcg of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt***. It also includes Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and Vitamin B12, along with Vitamins C, D, E and Selenium. This formula can support healthy homocysteine levels, the heart and cardiovascular system and the immune system. Folate is the only form (not folic acid) that will be absorbed in 100% of the population.
Active Life™ Capsules contain 800mcg of Folate, along with Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, along with Vitamins A, C, D3, E, Iodine, Chromium, Copper, Manganese, Potassium, Fulvic Trace Minerals, Lutein, L-Taurine and Zeaxanthin amongst other vitamins and minerals. Active Life™ helps to support a healthy immune system and normal bodily recovery processes. It can also provide balance to a healthy daily nutritional program and includes critical minerals such as chromium and selenium that the body needs for best health. Folate is the only form (not folic acid) that will be absorbed in 100% of the population.
