Proposals to add folic acid to flour

[Dyrne]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48608653

Does anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable about being treated as a potential incubator?

I understand that folic acid is very important for the development of a baby, and spina bifida is horrendous; but I kind of resent being treated as though I have the potential to get pregnant at any second. What’s next? FAS is devastating as well; so are they going to ban selling alcohol to all women of childbearing age?

I know they add some vitamins in already, but why target folic acid specifically? Surely there are a much wider range of people suffering from other vitamin deficiencies, so why not add those in as well? Surely that would help on a much wider scale? Why the specific targeting of women who may or may not get pregnant?

Or am I just being massively over touchy today?

I agree OP, it raises my hackles massively. I'd be interested to read feminist arguments in favour.

I can see both sides to be honest, but they have done this in Australia I believe and neural tube birth defects have reduced by 14%, so it obviously is working.

I would imagine this is to 'catch' the women with unexpected/unplanned pregnancies who would not have been taking folic acid supplements as many women do when planning/trying to fall pregnant.

I don't think it's quite the same as banning alcohol to all child-bearing aged women, as that would take something away from them, whereas adding FA to flour that is going to be consumed by not only child-bearing aged women doesn't limit anyone.

This makes me really really uncomfortable. The more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I get.

I don't really think it's a feminist issue. More akin to putting fluoride in tap water.

It's a consultation, so if you object why not let them know?

Personally I think it's quite a good idea. The BBC article makes clear that around half of pregnancies are unplanned, that 1,000 pregnancies a year in the UK are affected by neural tube detects and that fortification in Canada in the 90s reduced NT defects by half.

The way I took it listening to that Obs consultant was to help those that haven't been taking it because they didn't know they were pregnant? I may have misread it though.

Considering the crap that is already added to bread under the guise of calling it flour it probably won't make much difference, however I am sick of all the stuff being sneaked into food that doesn't belong and would not be happy about it.

Trying to find decent food these days is a minefield and bread made with soya or chickpea flour and palm oil plus additives to keep it fresh really doesn't need anything else added.

We have had folic acid in bread for a while in Scotland . l I honestly think you are over reacting to this you are not being treated like an "incubator" you are being offered fortifi ed flour it is hardly handmaids tail. Btw as a person with a neurotube defect I welcome this

Dyrne it is not just women of childbearing age who would eat bread though; men, children, women past the menopause also eat bread too.

Oh god I meant tale obviously

In the UK vitamin B12 deficiency occurs in approximately 20% of adults aged >65 years. This incidence is significantly higher than that among the general population. Fortification increases the consumption of folic acid of everyone who consumes products containing flour, including the elderly. Consuming additional folic acid from fortified foods increases the risk of 'masking' megaloblastic anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.

Storing up problems for later in life.

There are other potential health issues that can arise from folate deficiency. And it will reduce neural tube defects, as these happen in the first trimester when many women may not know that they're pregnant. I really don't think this is a big issue.

I think it's a good idea. I lost a baby at week 22 of pregnancy to spina bifida. If this move could potentially stop others experiencing having to make a decision that I wouldn't wish on anybody then I fully support it.

I don’t know about this tbh. I suppose is it that different to fluoride in water in that everyone gets exposed to it even if only some would actually benefit? (I know there are various arguments about fluoride)

What I did thoroughly dislike was previously hearing doctors saying how all women of child women should treat themselves as “pre pregnant” and behave as such by taking higher folic acid supplements, minimising alcohol - no you can fuck right off I am more than just someone waiting to be impregnated.

I’m very sorry to hear of your baby’s situation @GlossyTaco that must have been beyond horrendous.

It is not just women of childbearing age who would eat bread though; men, children, women past the menopause also eat bread too.

^This. It's not about being reduced to a "potential incubator" - but the fact is that 100s of 1000s of women in the UK each year don't find out that they're pregnant until the "window" for preventing neural tube defects has passed. Some of these can cause devastating, lifelong problems that severely reduce the quality of life of sufferers and their families.
I think it's incredibly selfish to say that your right to eat flour without folic acid added to it outweighs those people's right to live healthy, full lives. Why would anyone not want to prevent others' suffering if they can?
(And to the PP who suggested you just need to add a bit of palm oil to bread to keep it fresh and "decent", give over. You do know about palm oil, right?)

I thought they already did this to be honest. In any case, it's a good idea, just as reducing sugar and salt in processed foods is a good idea. It's an effective way of improving the populations health outcomes.

Megaloblastic anaemia has (several but) 2 primary causes: one is a gut abnormality preventing sufficient uptake of B12 from food, the other is insufficient folate in the diet. Increasing dietary folate across the bread/flour eating population will not mask B12 deficiency, but rather decrease folate deficiency. Folate deficiency is a cause of anaemia in adults and children.
It's a positive for everyone because everyone needs folate. They are concentrating on the benefits for neural tube development because it's easily measurable, but it's a necessary nutrient for everyone, not just childbearing women.

JonnyPocketRocket and GlossyTaco I completely hear what you’re saying and that’s why I started this thread really rather than just instantly raging - on the face of it I would fully support any initiative which can reduce the pain and suffering of families; I was just trying to unpick why it made me so uncomfortable.

I think CloudRusting has hit the nail on the head for me - the reason it jarred with me was because it is coming into an environment where as a 30 year old woman I am often treated as “potentially pregnant first, person second”.

I wonder why we don’t propose doing it with more things? Surely there are illnesses and disorders that can be reduced by adding things into the flour? Why focus on folic acid specifically? And how can they be certain that women will eat enough of it to be effective?

Thank you @CloudRusting .

Iirrc I read some an article a few years ago about a campaign to encourage all women of childbearing age to take daily FA. This proposal looks to be an extension of that.

They can't be certain women eat enough bread and flour but fortification is there to improve featal health . I am off out but I will link research on it later.

@Dyrne , from my perspective, I feel that FA in bread should be an opt out rather than an opt in thing.

If you don't want it , look for alternatives , or bake your own.

@Mrsjayy , I'm guesing that FA will appear in a variety of everyday foods if this bread proposal goes ahead.

But it’s not bread for women is it. It’s just bread everyone can chose to eat it or not.
I briefly heard this on bbc breakfast this morning and thought it sounded like a good idea( no more than that).