What if Synthetic Folate Changed Everything?

In 1992, the CDC recommended that pregnant women take folic acid (synthetic, man made B9) to prevent neural tube defects (spina bifida). Also, in 1998 folic acid was added to all enriched grain products. It’s also in our baby formula.

What if it was unknown that a large portion of the population couldn’t process this synthetic form of B9 due to genetic mutations like MTHFR + others?

What if all these moms and babies were pounded by synthetic folic acid and the body started viewing this as a threat.

An unwanted invader forcing the brain to methylate, myelinate, and to just shut up and do what’s it's told.

What if some of these kids were more sensitive than others, and for a small fraction of them, this assault created an autoimmune condition in the brain’s folate receptors?

Moms felt like they had a folic acid safety net conveniently provided by their doctors and government.

So, they started eating less of natural folate sources like leafy greens and citrus. Around this same time, processed food came in hard and strong.

What if these babies’ brains started to become starved of folate, which prevented critical brain development functions from happening – methylation, myelination, and neurotransmitter production.

What if without enough folate, they couldn’t methylate properly, and therefore couldn’t detox effectively?

DNA and inflammation spun out of control. What was each child’s weakest genetic link?

In came more crap food, more pesticides, more vaccines, more illness, more antibiotics, more pharmaceuticals, more screen time, more time indoors. So. Much. Crap.

And impaired methylation also meant depleted levels of glutathione – the master antioxidant that excretes toxins out the body.

The toxins wanted to leave, but they had no where to go.

So, the pathology went deeper and other parts of the body became inflamed. The brain, the gut, the lungs, the ears ... so many places ... all screaming for help.

The baby got more vaccines.

More combinations. As young as possible. Every three months, every six months. Make it efficient. As many as possible in a visit.

Send mom home with a sample of Tylenol after the shots, tell her to make sure she has her own bottle on hand ... tank that glutathione even further.

But with some of these kids, was there even any glutathione left in their tanks?

But, no. Don’t think, don’t ask questions. Trust. 

Baby gets a fever, or eczema, or asthma, or diarrhea. The immune system tries to do the right thing. Tries to regulate. Keeps trying to push out the toxins. 

Nope, give that Tylenol. Do that steroid breathing treatment. Slather that eczema cream over their wounds. Silence the body because it’s not smart. We are. Just trust us. 

But, no. Something went wrong.

Right, left, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, moms, insurance, not enough money, too much money, an insurmountable toxin burden coming from every freaking direction. 

Trust the science. Don’t trust the science. Do this. Don’t do that. Fox, CNN, Yahoo, MSN, Instagram, TikTok, influencers, Facebook groups. So many opinions. Who to trust?

The perfect storm.

What if ... ?

What if we silenced the noise?

What if we know better, so we start to do better?

Do you even know how powerful a mother’s intuition is? How powerful our love is?

What if we took back our power as moms and changed the course of our children’s future?

What if?

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I am a writer and sometimes I get in a flow state and words pour out of me. Straight from my heart and soul, and into words and sentences; time seems to stand still. It's been a while since that happened. But that's what happened with this post. And every time I read this, I'm crying when I get to the end.

In this age of information overload, PubMed studies, protocols, root causes, one-size-fits all diagnoses and treatment, and integrative functional medicine versus conventional, I didn't publish this to proclaim, 'This is it! Synthetic folic acid and folate deficiency is the cause of autism and the child chronic health epidemic!' But rather, for us to truly ask ourselves, "What if ...?"

There's a popular phrase that describes epigenetics as, "Genetics loads the gun, but environment pulls the trigger." Yes, I 100 percent agree with this, but is it possible that there's a piece of the puzzle in between? Could it be that genetics load the gun, but synthetic folic acid and/or faulty detox mechanisms removes the safety? Then, the brain is weakened and toxins have no way to escape?

The hypothesis of folate deficiency being a potential cause of autism is not new. It has been talked about for years. And the same is true of apraxia. A quick google search said, "Folate is crucial for brain development and function. A deficiency, especially in the brain, can disrupt motor control and planning, contributing to apraxia and other coordination issues."

I believe folate deficiency was one component of my son's Childhood Apraxia of Speech issues. He was deficient in folate on a NutrEval test and he supplemented with a B complex from a compounding pharmacy that included methylated B12 and folate. I also 1,000 percent know that his detoxification system was significantly impaired back then, and it will always be something he has to be mindful of.

I'm reading the book, "The Folate Fix," by Dr. Richard E. Frye this week and thought these folate facts from his book were interesting:

"From the earliest stages of embryonic development, folate is vital for forming the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Another primary role of folate is the synthesis of genetic material, which begins shortly after conception and remains crucial throughout a person's life.

Folate plays additional roles in brain development, such as supporting neurotransmitter production and promoting myelination, the protective insulation around neurons that enhances signal transmission.

Folate is also essential for two critical processes: methylation, which regulates gene activity, and redox metabolism, which protects cells from stress and toxins."

So, no question about it ... folate is huge for brain and body health. For some, it may be as easy as bringing deficient levels up to normal with supplementation. But what about the other damage that's been created along the way? What dosage is best to start with? Can too much overwhelm the body and lead to additional symptoms? Is it a matter of carefully putting that safety back on while also removing the things that are contributing to a child's total load? What about the other root causes?

Autism, apraxia, ADHD, eczema, asthma, and all of the other childhood chronic disorders and illnesses, will always need to be analyzed holistically -- taking into account all symptoms, total load, and root causes. And doing this through a careful and respectful lens, understanding that the body is miraculous and brilliant, and is always doing what is right in order to regulate, balance, and keep us alive.

In closing, this an introduction to folate, folic acid, methylated folate, 5-MTHF, folinic acid, Leucovorin, Cerebral Folate Deficiency, FRAT, and MTHFR. My job is to read all the research, report on what is and is not working for these children, and report back to you with the best-of-the-best information. Strategic planning during the early intervention years is vital.