Re: Folic Acid & Folinic Acid

[Guest guest]

--- Hoppin' Herd of Hares <feargod@...> wrote:

> Is folic acid & folinic acid the same thing??? Or, are they

> different?

> Anyone have info on this?

>

> Qadoshyah

>

Yes. They are different forms of the same thing. At least this is

what I understood years ago when some of us first started trying out

folinic acid. Ginger used to post about it. I can't remember the

details.

Priscilla Kendrick, married 28 years to Darrel and parents of 9 kids including

Evan, 10, born with Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida

" My strength is made perfect in weakness. "

" My grace is sufficient. " II Corinthians 12:9 KJV

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Folinic acid is a form of folic acid that is more readily absorbed by

the body, that's why it's in NVD :-)

>

> Is folic acid & folinic acid the same thing??? Or, are they different?

> Anyone have info on this?

>

> Qadoshyah

>

[Guest guest]

<< Is folic acid & folinic acid the same thing??? Or, are they> different?Yes. They are different forms of the same thing. At least this iswhat I understood years ago when some of us first started trying outfolinic acid. Ginger used to post about it. I can't remember thedetails.>>

I wrote to inquire about this too as it's been so long since I got into all this...apparently folinic is what we want use as it is the more active form- so I was told.

Sherry

[Guest guest]

I remember something to the effect that folinic acid was a more

bio-available form to use than folic acid (since there is a functional folate

trap in Ds, folinic acid works better than folic acid)

https://www.integratedhealth.com/hpdspec/folinic.html

Folinic

acid, also known as 5-formyl tetrahydrofolate, is one active form in a group of

vitamins known as folates. In contrast to folic acid, a synthetic form of

folate, folinic acid is one of the forms of folate found naturally in foods.

Folate deficiency is believed to be the most common vitamin deficiency in the

world due to food processing, food selection, and intestinal disorders. In the

body folinic acid may be converted into any of the other active forms of

folate. Folate coenzymes are responsible for the following important metabolic

functions: 1) Formation of purines and pyrimidines which, in turn, are needed

for synthesis of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. This is especially important

during fetal development in the first trimester in preventing birth defects,

such as neural tube defects, 2) Formation of heme, the iron-containing protein

in hemoglobin, 3) Interconversion of the 3-carbon amino acid serine from the

2-carbon amino acid glycine, 4) Formation of the amino acids tyrosine from

phenylalanine and glutamic acid from histidine, 5) Formation of the amino acid

methionine from homocysteine (Vitamin B-12 as methylcobalamin also is needed

for this conversion). Elevated levels of homocysteine have been implicated in a

wide range of health disorders including atherosclerosis, osteoporosis,

Alzheimer's disease, and depression. In the reconversion of homocysteine to

methionine the body uses the methionine to make the important amino acid

s-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) which is known to be helpful in cases of

depression, 6) Synthesis of choline from ethanolamine, 7) Formation and

maturation of red and white blood cells, and 8) Conversion of nicotinamide to

N'-methylnicotinamide. Other conditions than those mentioned above possibly

benefiting from folinic acid supplementation include: AIDS/HIV, celiac disease,

cervical displasia, cleft palate, colon cancer, Crohn's disease, diarrhea,

gout, high cholesterol, increased fracture of chromosomes, malabsorption and gastrointestinal

inflammation, megaloblastic anemia, restless leg syndrome, postpartum

depression, sprue, ulcerative colitis, and vitiligo. Numerous drugs are known

to inhibit the body's ability to utilize folate, including: 1) aspirin, 2)

cholesterol lowering drugs, 3) oral birth control pills, 4) antacids, and 5)

methotrexate when used for rheumatoid arthritis. When taking these drugs (and

many others) it is recommended that you take 800 mcg daily of folate,

preferably as folinic acid. When taking folate it is recommended that you take

adequate amounts of Vitamin B-12 as methylcobalamin. Please note that folate

supplementation may interfere with anticonvulsant drugs.

kathyR

From:

Down Syndrome Treatment

[mailto:Down Syndrome Treatment ] On Behalf Of Priscilla

Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 3:23

PM

To:

Down Syndrome Treatment

Subject: Re:

Folic Acid & Folinic Acid

--- Hoppin' Herd of Hares <feargodatruechurch (DOT) info>

wrote:

> Is folic acid & folinic acid the same thing??? Or, are they

> different?

> Anyone have info on this?

>

> Qadoshyah

>

Yes. They are different forms of the same thing. At least this is

what I understood years ago when some of us first started trying out

folinic acid. Ginger used to post about it. I can't remember the

details.

Priscilla Kendrick, married 28 years to Darrel and parents of 9 kids including

Evan, 10, born with Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida

" My strength is made perfect in weakness. "

" My grace is sufficient. " II Corinthians 12:9 KJV

[Guest guest]

>

> Is folic acid & folinic acid the same thing??? Or, are they

different?

> Anyone have info on this?

>

> Qadoshyah

>

I might be able to help here. This all came about as a result of

research done by Jill and with Ginger coming in here as well.

Jill found that mothers were more likely to have a child with DS if

they had a mutation in a particular gene called MTHFR-

methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This resulted in folic acid not

being broken down properly so Ginger asked if she would be willing

to run boood tests etc if she started giving folinic acid to her

daughter. Folinic comes after this enzyme so presumably those with

the mutation were producing less of this active compound as

suggests. Jill is now heavily involved in autism research as this

territory comes into it here. Without Ginger's early input there

would be a great many numbers of children with autism not being

treated with folinic acid these days. MTHFR is also involved in

vitamin B12 metabolism, so that is why they are also using

methylcobalamin as the methyl form is not produced properly.

[Guest guest]

Thanks . Yes, I understand the MTHFR mutatoion & all that stuff you mentioned. I looked that stuff up when we first found out my brother's MCV was elevated (as to be expected) in January. I've seen the study Jill did on mom's of DS kids & such - I'm very curious what my mom's homocysteine levels were when my brother was born . . . I really want to get that lab work to see!

I was asking about folic acid & folinic acid because of some things I was looking up on Methotrexate & folic acid. I found what Ginger said on the ES list about folic acid & folinic acid - "Folic acid and folate are the same thing. Folinic acid is a chemical cousin to folate, but it is different, and it behaves differently in the body. Folate is supposed to convert to folinic under normal circumstances, but since our kids are so disrupted in those cycles, it probably doesn't." It just really makes me wonder about why you can't supplement with folic acid while on Methotrexate for leukemia . . . WHEN folate/folic acid converts to folinic acid. AND, when they SUGGEST to give folinic acid to people being treated with MTX for leukemia. I've also found some that suggest giving folic acid too!

Qadoshyah

*Got Down Syndrome?

www.gotdownsyndrome.net

From: Down Syndrome Treatment [mailto:Down Syndrome Treatment ] On Behalf Of pennant57Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 2:59 PMDown Syndrome Treatment Subject: Re: Folic Acid & Folinic Acid

>> Is folic acid & folinic acid the same thing??? Or, are they different?> Anyone have info on this?> > Qadoshyah>I might be able to help here. This all came about as a result of research done by Jill and with Ginger coming in here as well. Jill found that mothers were more likely to have a child with DS if they had a mutation in a particular gene called MTHFR- methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This resulted in folic acid not being broken down properly so Ginger asked if she would be willing to run boood tests etc if she started giving folinic acid to her daughter. Folinic comes after this enzyme so presumably those with the mutation were producing less of this active compound as suggests. Jill is now heavily involved in autism research as this territory comes into it here. Without Ginger's early input there would be a great many numbers of children with autism not being treated with folinic acid these days. MTHFR is also involved in vitamin B12 metabolism, so that is why they are also using methylcobalamin as the methyl form is not produced properly.

[Guest guest]

>

It just really makes me wonder about why

> you can't supplement with folic acid while on Methotrexate for

leukemia . .

> . WHEN folate/folic acid converts to folinic acid. AND, when they

SUGGEST to

> give folinic acid to people being treated with MTX for leukemia.

I've also

> found some that suggest giving folic acid too!

>

> Qadoshyah

Hi Qadoshyah,

It may have something to do with the fact that methotrexate is a

dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor and folic acid would drive that

reaction, so you are undoing what you are trying to do. Folinic acid

is further downstream and mightdn't have that effect.

Another aspect is that methotrexate also inhibits thymidylate

synthase(which is involved in DNA synthesis) by reducing the

availability of its cofactor, methylenetetrahydrofolate. Folinic

comes along after that.

[Guest guest]

Thanks . We'll see if it really is true to not give folic acid. I'm waiting to hear back from a few folks who say it is fine & they talk about some different articles. So, I want to get those articles they are talking about.

Qadoshyah

*Got Down Syndrome?

www.gotdownsyndrome.net

From: Down Syndrome Treatment [mailto:Down Syndrome Treatment ] On Behalf Of pennant57Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 3:00 PMDown Syndrome Treatment Subject: Re: Folic Acid & Folinic Acid

>It just really makes me wonder about why> you can't supplement with folic acid while on Methotrexate for leukemia . .> . WHEN folate/folic acid converts to folinic acid. AND, when they SUGGEST to> give folinic acid to people being treated with MTX for leukemia. I've also> found some that suggest giving folic acid too! > > Qadoshyah Hi Qadoshyah,It may have something to do with the fact that methotrexate is a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor and folic acid would drive that reaction, so you are undoing what you are trying to do. Folinic acid is further downstream and mightdn't have that effect.Another aspect is that methotrexate also inhibits thymidylate synthase(which is involved in DNA synthesis) by reducing the availability of its cofactor, methylenetetrahydrofolate. Folinic comes along after that.