Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site metheus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!ogcvax!metheus!howard From: howard@metheus.UUCP (Howard A. Landman) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Folic Acid Message-ID: <210@metheus.UUCP> Date: Sun, 4-Mar-84 22:18:47 EST Article-I.D.: metheus.210 Posted: Sun Mar 4 22:18:47 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 6-Mar-84 03:31:38 EST Organization: Metheus, Portland Oregon Lines: 21 Since my wife is pregnant, I have spent some time trying to assure that she gets a decent diet. One of the problems I have had is that I would like her to be getting about 4 mg of folic acid per day, but it is apparently illegal to use more than .8 mg (800 mcg) in any non-prescription pill. The only justification I have ever seen for this was a vague reference in one book to folic acid "masking" pernicious anemia (B-12 deficiency). So, two questions: (1) Is there a law/ruling that limits the maximum amount of folic acid in non-prescription medications to 800 mcg? Who issued this? When? Is there a similar limit in other civilized countries than the U.S.? (2) Even if folic acid masked B-12 deficiency, wouldn't it be safe to allow large amounts of folic acid in a multiple vitamin which included reasonable amounts of B-12? My interim solution is to give her several 800 mcg folic acid pills in addition to the C, multiple, B, E, etc. that she was already taking; but this is not very cost-effective. Howard A. Landman ogcvax!metheus!howard