Folic Acid
- Thread starter X190
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Hey xzellerate,
Folic acid assists a critical co factor in the converting of arginine to nitric oxide (NO) to regenerate and increase its bioavailability.
This critical co factor is also a vital antioxidant and goes by the name of Tetrahydrobiopterin (or BH4).
BH4 scavenges a free radical called superoxide, keeping it under control, preventing it from doing damage
If BH4's bioavailability is reduced, superoxide levels increase and trouble begins.
Superoxide reacts with nitric oxide to form peroxynitrite, an especially nasty free radical.
Peroxynitrite oxidizes BH4 and reduces its bioavailability.
If this happens,
1) Superoxide will increase even more so that you have a cycle of events that continues until you fall ill or your hair falls out (if you are susceptible).
2) Nitric oxide production goes down (since BH4's bioavailability is reduced and it cannot assist in the converting of arginine to NO....or it does this less efficiently).
If not rectified, oxidative stress occurs (over production of superoxide....insufficient nitric oxide (NO) production).
Now, NO is essential for hair to grow.
Nitric oxide increases potassium channel activity ....which is the reason researchers at Upjohn (the makers of regaine - topical minoxidil) believe minoxidil works in helping to grow hair.
So to recap:
1) Folic acid supplementation leads to
2) Increased BH4 bioavailability, which leads to
3) Decreased superoxide production (and therefore less peroxynitrite formation) and
4) Increased efficiency where the converting of arginine to nitric oxide is concerned, resulting in
5) Increased nitric oxide production and therefore
6) Increased potassium channel activity, allowing for more
7) Hair :wink:
Oxhide out!
Folic acid assists a critical co factor in the converting of arginine to nitric oxide (NO) to regenerate and increase its bioavailability.
This critical co factor is also a vital antioxidant and goes by the name of Tetrahydrobiopterin (or BH4).
BH4 scavenges a free radical called superoxide, keeping it under control, preventing it from doing damage
If BH4's bioavailability is reduced, superoxide levels increase and trouble begins.
Superoxide reacts with nitric oxide to form peroxynitrite, an especially nasty free radical.
Peroxynitrite oxidizes BH4 and reduces its bioavailability.
If this happens,
1) Superoxide will increase even more so that you have a cycle of events that continues until you fall ill or your hair falls out (if you are susceptible).
2) Nitric oxide production goes down (since BH4's bioavailability is reduced and it cannot assist in the converting of arginine to NO....or it does this less efficiently).
If not rectified, oxidative stress occurs (over production of superoxide....insufficient nitric oxide (NO) production).
Now, NO is essential for hair to grow.
Nitric oxide increases potassium channel activity ....which is the reason researchers at Upjohn (the makers of regaine - topical minoxidil) believe minoxidil works in helping to grow hair.
So to recap:
1) Folic acid supplementation leads to
2) Increased BH4 bioavailability, which leads to
3) Decreased superoxide production (and therefore less peroxynitrite formation) and
4) Increased efficiency where the converting of arginine to nitric oxide is concerned, resulting in
5) Increased nitric oxide production and therefore
6) Increased potassium channel activity, allowing for more
7) Hair :wink:
Oxhide out!
G
Guest
Guest
No problem xzellerate.
Have a good one!
Have a good one!
G
Guest
Guest
Hey.....
Yes, I take 200mcg per day (the RDA for men)
Do not go over 400mcg per day....I posted this in response to a question by BrdiePutt....it will explain why not to go overboard with folic acid:
The highest dose recommended for men is around 400mcg...with 800mcg being given to pregnant women...do try to find a folic acid supplement that does not exceed 400mcg.
Do not overdo folic acid...400mcg tops!...preferably 200mcg.
Toxicity from excessive Folic acid intake does not normally occur, as folic acid is water soluble and regularly excreted by the body. However, doses of folic acid that greatly exceed the RDA (200mcg men) may obscure a serious condition called pernicious anemia
http://www.herbaladvisor.com/qlinks/xq/ ... tamins.htm
No....what I believe it will do (where regaine is concerned) is prevent tolerance to the product from developing by assisting BH4 in keeping its levels high enough to prevent superoxide from running the show as a result of using a nitrate such as minoxidil.
When people use nitro glycerin (also a nitrate....a donor of nitric oxide), they(well some people) eventually develop a 'tolerance' to it.
This is because superoxide (O-2) is derived from nitric oxide (NO) and while increasing their levels of NO, they inadvertently raise their superoxide levels.
The superoxide then reacts with NO to form peroxynitrite (ONOO-) etc etc.
So NO goes down and cannot do its thing....seemingly the nitrate ceases to work or works less effectively.
Thats the thing about NO....if you're going to increase its production,you must protect yourself against increased superoxide production....or you end up lowering NO:
If you ensure that BH4 is adequately bioavailable (by taking folic acid), nitric oxide (whether donated or 'inherent') will continue to do its thing because of BH4's scavenging of superoxide...therefore the nitrate will not lose it's ability to work and work to the best of its ability.
minoxidil is also a donor of NO (nitrate), only much more powerful and I believe that minoxidil loses its punch in some people because of the same reasons so folic acid will only help minoxidil to continue its good work.
Note: Vitamin C has been proven to do the same thing (assist BH4).
The official RDA for vitamin C is 60mg/day but that is not the amount needed for optimum health, it's the amount needed to avoid scurvy.
The unofficial RDA (recommended by medical researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the USA ) is 200mg per day.
A minimum of 200mg per day for smokers was recommended by researchers at the Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee....and even then, their blood plasma levels will equal that of non smokers taking the official 60mg/day....give it up man...it's doing you no good :wink:
So folic acid 200mcg/day (no higher than 400mcg) and vitamin C 200mg/day.
Hope this helps...later!
Yes, I take 200mcg per day (the RDA for men)
Do not go over 400mcg per day....I posted this in response to a question by BrdiePutt....it will explain why not to go overboard with folic acid:
The highest dose recommended for men is around 400mcg...with 800mcg being given to pregnant women...do try to find a folic acid supplement that does not exceed 400mcg.
Do not overdo folic acid...400mcg tops!...preferably 200mcg.
Toxicity from excessive Folic acid intake does not normally occur, as folic acid is water soluble and regularly excreted by the body. However, doses of folic acid that greatly exceed the RDA (200mcg men) may obscure a serious condition called pernicious anemia
http://www.herbaladvisor.com/qlinks/xq/ ... tamins.htm
No....what I believe it will do (where regaine is concerned) is prevent tolerance to the product from developing by assisting BH4 in keeping its levels high enough to prevent superoxide from running the show as a result of using a nitrate such as minoxidil.
When people use nitro glycerin (also a nitrate....a donor of nitric oxide), they(well some people) eventually develop a 'tolerance' to it.
This is because superoxide (O-2) is derived from nitric oxide (NO) and while increasing their levels of NO, they inadvertently raise their superoxide levels.
The superoxide then reacts with NO to form peroxynitrite (ONOO-) etc etc.
So NO goes down and cannot do its thing....seemingly the nitrate ceases to work or works less effectively.
Thats the thing about NO....if you're going to increase its production,you must protect yourself against increased superoxide production....or you end up lowering NO:
If you ensure that BH4 is adequately bioavailable (by taking folic acid), nitric oxide (whether donated or 'inherent') will continue to do its thing because of BH4's scavenging of superoxide...therefore the nitrate will not lose it's ability to work and work to the best of its ability.
minoxidil is also a donor of NO (nitrate), only much more powerful and I believe that minoxidil loses its punch in some people because of the same reasons so folic acid will only help minoxidil to continue its good work.
Note: Vitamin C has been proven to do the same thing (assist BH4).
The official RDA for vitamin C is 60mg/day but that is not the amount needed for optimum health, it's the amount needed to avoid scurvy.
The unofficial RDA (recommended by medical researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the USA ) is 200mg per day.
A minimum of 200mg per day for smokers was recommended by researchers at the Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee....and even then, their blood plasma levels will equal that of non smokers taking the official 60mg/day....give it up man...it's doing you no good :wink:
So folic acid 200mcg/day (no higher than 400mcg) and vitamin C 200mg/day.
Hope this helps...later!
G
Guest
Guest
Hey!
BuffDaddy,
I'd recommend Centrum Performance or Bio-Orgaincs: Multi Vitamin & Mineral Supplement.
Both of those products contain just about more than enough known antioxidants to keep your body's free radicals on their toes
Both are readily available in health stores and pharmacies but you can order them online if you need to.
At the top of the page on the first link (far right), there's a run down of exactly what each tablet contains...so if you cannot locate it then get something similar...but as I said, those two you should be able to get.
Good luck!
You can get centrum here
http://www.centrum.com/multi/performance.asp
You can get Bio Organics Antioxidants: Multi Vitamin & Mineral Supplement here:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/amcal-au/93160908501.html
xzellerate,
Good luck with it.........
BuffDaddy,
I'd recommend Centrum Performance or Bio-Orgaincs: Multi Vitamin & Mineral Supplement.
Both of those products contain just about more than enough known antioxidants to keep your body's free radicals on their toes
Both are readily available in health stores and pharmacies but you can order them online if you need to.
At the top of the page on the first link (far right), there's a run down of exactly what each tablet contains...so if you cannot locate it then get something similar...but as I said, those two you should be able to get.
Good luck!
You can get centrum here
http://www.centrum.com/multi/performance.asp
You can get Bio Organics Antioxidants: Multi Vitamin & Mineral Supplement here:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/amcal-au/93160908501.html
xzellerate,
Good luck with it.........
G
Guest
Guest
Ah....that was me but I forgot to log in....now I can't even correct some grammatical mistakes....the agony :wink:
X190
Established Member
- Reaction score
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Oxhide said:
Dude, where are you? If I keep pouring liquor for you every weekend I'm not going to have any left for me! I need anti-oxidants too you know! Maybe that's why you had to leave... everybody started taking AO's and you're Oxhide! J/K But on the serious side, if you're alive, just say so holmes. Whatever you're doing, you're research and knowledge were invaluable to all of us. Just a day for reminisance... Take care bro, and hope to hear from you soon, and that your hair is still doing fine.
Peace,
XL
Oxhide said:
While surfing the men's discussion forum I saw your info on folic acid. Thanks for the info. And the link to http://www.herbaladvisor.com