GNLD News
Folic acid is essential before and during pregnancy
Everyone needs folic acid, it is an essential vitamin necessary for many metabolic functions, and a new study (conducted in the Peoples Republic of China and published in the November 11 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine*) underscores the importance of sufficient folic acid in the diet of pregnant women or women who are planning pregnancy.
Almost 130,000 women who took a folic acid (folic acid is a B-vitamin) supplement before becoming pregnant and during the first trimester had a 40 to 85 percent reduced risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect (NTD), compared to almost 120,000 women who did not take folic acid.
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects including spina bifida and anencephaly. About 4,000 pregnancies per year in the United States are affected by these birth defects.
Nutrition at any life-stage is critically important, but during pregnancy it can affect not only the life of the mother, but also that of the unborn child. As a GNLD distributor, do you know if all your female family members and customers of childbearing age are receiving enough folic acid? If not, a great start would be either GNLD’s Formula IV or Formula IV Plus. Both products contain optimum amounts of folic acid as well as a full spectrum of nutrients known to support health.
If you or one of your customers are already pregnant, consult with a physician regarding what role GNLD supplements may play in a pre-natal nutritional program.
* Source: Robert J. Berry, Zhu Li, J. David Erickson, Song Li, Cynthia A. Moore, Hong Wang, Joseph Mulinare, Ping Zhao, Lee-Yang C. Wong, Jacqueline Gindler, Shi-Xin Hong, Adolfo Correa, Ling Hao, Elaine Gunter, for the China-U.S. Collaborative Project for Neural Tube Defect Prevention Prevention of Neural-Tube Defects with Folic Acid in China, The New England Journal of Medicine — November 11, 1999 — Vol. 341, No. 20