From Dec '26 folic acid is to be added into flour but for some people it could cause severe side effects if they take it. Should there be more debate before we change what we eat forever?

[snowbear22]

Chris Wittey on behalf of the WHO has directed that folic acid will be added to all flour in the UK from this December. Dr Clair Craig is running a campaign against this and is attempting to get a parliament to debate it before mandating folic acid in food.

I'm basing this mainly on her interview on this social media clip and I am not a doctor or involved in the NHS, I would love to hear more of the case for Folic acid in food as I'm sure a lot of medical professionals know a lot more about this than me.
These are the arguments for and against:
Pro's:

1. 200 babies a year can possibly be saved from neural tube defect which is mostly spina bifida.
2. The USA added floic acid to the flour supply and has less spina bifida cases.

Dr Clair Craig arguments against:
1.There are groups of people that should avoid using folic acid- people with cancer because it drives cell replication, people with heart stents as it can cause a stent to re-block and people with undiagnosed B12 deficiency ( around 6,000) as it can cause severe neurological damage. It will be in all flours, even gluten free flour.

2.WHO themselves say that the evidence of helping unborn children is not that strong -it was based on one single trial which gave the control, (placibo group) manganese which can be neurotoxic- and 6 of the control group developed neural tube defects and the control group developed none. The study was deemed unethical after that and never replicated and so all policy is based on that one study.

3.Folic acid is a drug, a synthetic chemical, it is a different molecule to folate- vitamine B9 which you would find in real food such as broccolli, it breaks down differently in the body.

4.Mass medication with no consultation is wrong inherently, it is Government overreach, you should not be mandated by government to take something that you do not consent to, and it is a slippery slope and it is unprecidented that a change that affects so many people has not been allowed any debate in Parliament.

YANBU - Not convinced of the overall good to society if it causes harm to some groups and there should definately be more debate before implementation.

YABU- it would save 200 babies a year from spina biifida and it is overall a good thing.

They are. Also home mills.

Depends on the spelling of Claire/Clare, the former is a geophysicist and the latter is a pathologist. I'm inclined to think the OP has spelt the name wrong and it's the latter as she has a self-published book on COVID.

I buy longer vests to wear under tops for this reason. I’m 5ft 8 and all the T-shirts are too short got me!!

Thank you. There seems to be a belief creeping in that everyone has equal knowledge of science and everyone’s suddenly an expert and that just isn’t true. There are some now who don’t believe in sunscreen - and don’t get me started on the flat earthers. “I’ve done my research” usually means “I’ve watched some conspiracy nut on YouTube”.

folic acid isn’t the same as folate which is the naturally occurring source we get in veg. I’ve got a friend who is severely allergic to folic acid and it causes all sorts of horrible side effects including miscarriages and heart problems. She currently gets around it with eating gluten free bread and pasta and cereal. I feel terribly sorry for her having to cut all wheat out of her diet entirely for the rest of her life, it is such a beneficial food apart from this additive the government which the government is choosing to add.

This is scaremongering rubbish.

There is already folic acid in cereals and has been for decades.

300 people a year are born with neural tube defects.

One of them is my sister. She's an amazing human being who has suffered horrific consequences all her life from spina bifida. Despite being in pain every day she's achieved so much, and everyone I know loves her.

She could have been spared a life of pain. The fact that some dodgy quack is railing against this for their own advancement is sickening. It has been well researched and is already done in other countries, and added to cereals for years in our own.

This person should be struck off, anyone peddling such dangerous misinformation which could disable and kill 300 babies a year should be prevented from causing harm.

She'll still be able to eat gluten free, as those products are exempt. Cardiovascular events and miscarriages/fetal disability and death are the reasons why folic acid is being added in the first place - not what an allergy means.

It is not the end of the world to be gluten free in any case.

Anything spouted by pathologist Clare Craig, the noted anti-Covid grifter, should be taken with a very large dose of salt (if not folic acid).

The scaremongering clearly works with some folk who even in this thread have stated in big scary capitals that it's going to be added to ALL flour which isn't true. White and brown, yes. Wholemeal, rye, spelt etc, no.

The research and planning for this legislation was initiated in 2006. There was a government consultation on it in 2019 and as early as 2024, the BBC reported that it was likely to happen. It's extremely disingenuous to say that it is being done without consultation or public knowledge.

I thought it all smacked of covid conspiracy.

@NeverDropYourMooncup slightly off topic but may I ask about your experience with folic acid and mtx. I was prescribed 6 days of it a week, still had huge side effects. Did you mean that even at that dose you still had side effects from the mtx?
I was prescribed folic acid 5mg 6 days a week (vastly, vastly higher than anything added to bread or even given to pregnant women). I did find that it gave me some side effects and have tinkered about with it to make it work well.

Yes. The MTX was stopped after that and I started biologics, which are vastly superior in my opinion; no chucking up, no severe infections whilst still not experiencing significant relief, no constant sense of nausea or a horrible taste that made eating fruit or vegetables deeply unpleasant, that sort of thing.

You can have too much folic acid. Since it is already added to many processed foods adding it to flour as well risking the health of already existing children and adults for the sake of a few hundred hypothetical babies that have not yet been concevied is like prioritising sacred sperm over real human beings already born and alive.

It still possible consume excessive amounts of folic acid. It is synthetic so the excess is only excreted safely if the body can convert it all to folate fast enough. Here are some possible symptoms of taking too much:
1. Digestive issues
One of the most likely side effects of excessive folic acid intake is an upset stomach, including nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps.
2. Hypersensitivity
Another possible side effect of too much folic acid is hypersensitivity. This may include symptoms such as skin rashes, redness, itching, and trouble breathing. However, this may also indicate an allergic reaction.
3. Mood changes
Confusion or irritability can also result from taking too much folic acid by mouth, according to the Mayo Clinic. Insomnia is another possible symptom of excessive folic acid intake.
4. Anemia
Taking large amounts of folic acid can mask the effects of a deficiency in a different B vitamin that the body does not produce on its own: B12. Vitamin B12 helps the body make red blood cells and DNA, and keeps blood and nerve cells healthy. Some research suggests that excessively high levels of folate can contribute to a decline in vitamin B12 levels. A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia, as well as other potential health problems, including damage to the nervous system. The Mayo Clinic suggests taking a supplement that contains the 100% daily recommended value of both vitamin B12 and folic acid.
5. Neurological concerns
Research suggests that excess folic acid poses a risk to the nervous system. Too much folic acid can mask or even worsen the neurologic symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. The potential neurologic changes may include cognitive slowing and neuropathy, D’Iorio says. Instead, the body needs the correct balance of folate and vitamin B12. This and anemia are the two most serious consequences of taking too much folic acid.
6. Kidney problems
Some research indicates that folic acid may help slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. However, high doses of folic acid could be problematic for the kidneys, as other research suggests that a high concentration of folic acid may contribute to acute renal failure. People with kidney disease should discuss the appropriate use of folic acid supplements with their healthcare provider.

Then why don’t the NHS hand out free folic acid supplements to all girls and women of child bearing age? Why force it on everyone?

Because it's not just women consciously planning a baby that need it.

The previous post makes a case for adding b12 to wheat products as well, by the way.

Three hundred disabled babies born every year who could be healthy.

A solution planned and approved by health authorities, already used in other countries and in other foods.

Anyone against this is at best ill-informed and at worst evil. Have you seen the suffering of children with neural tube defects?

My sister had her open back wound sewen up when she was a few hours old, with no anesthetic because they believed babies didn't need it in 1968. She was operated on at 13 and spent a year in a Styker frame, from which she was dropped twice, nearly killing her.

No child deserves to go through that if it can be prevented.

And the millions of men and women who suffer due to cardiovascular events that could have been avoided with simple fortification of a daily staple.

The reason given for it being necessary to add to flour was the potential for birth defects on a hypothetical number of babies. Only women of child bearing age can get pregnant.

If you’re concerned - just don’t eat flour.

I and many cealiacs thrive without it. Many alternatives out there

it’s not compulsory to eat it.

I am not against ensuring girls and women of child bearing age are monitored and given free folic acid to prevent such defects. I am against the proposed solution which is to add folic acid to all flours for everyone when consuming too much also causes untold suffering and harm, even acute renal failure, in human beings already alive and here. I think we have a responsibility when trying to prevent birth defects of the unconcieved (only sperm & egg rn) to first do no harm to the human beings already alive on the planet.

That’s just ridiculous to expect.

Doesn’t bother me. People who don’t want to ingest it can read labels like those with allergies and celiac disease do and can either make their own food or go gluten free.

The previous post makes a case for adding b12 to wheat products as well, by the way

That would be a huge mistake. There are already so many people having B12 deficiencies missed because oral supplementation is masking an absorption issue

By the time many women are aware they are pregnant, it is often too late for folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.

These 300 people are NOT hypothetical. They are being born every year with a disability. Those figures do not count the pregnancies TFMR, who are indeed hypothetical people who were lost, to the anguish of their parents.

If there is strong evidence folic acid in food causes harm, why is it available in cereal and has been for decades? Wouldn't it have been discontinued if it was proven to cause harm, as some people are concerned it might?

Then good the impact of folic acid has been extensively tested and this is a good reason.

Stop with this conspiratorial bullshit.

'Wheat berries' ffs. It's just called wheat grain in English. And easily available.