I am on vacation, but I never take a vacation from good health.  Last night, before turning in, I tuned in to Greta van Susteren's visit to The Cleveland Clinic.  (If you weren't able to view it live, visit her website, gretawire.)

Folic acid (supplement form of folate) is a vitamin most commonly associated with pregnancy.  Its importance in cancer treatment and cognitive functions for surviving cancer are becoming increasingly apparent.  Folic acid deficiency is likely to be a major contributor to the disorder we know as chemo brain.

Why you need folate/folic acid if you are a cancer survivor:

• Helps form and maintain new cells (this is why many chemotherapies deplete it)
• Needed to make DNA and RNA, and helps to preserve DNA changes that can lead to cancer
• Needed in the formation of normal red blood cells
• Helps prevent anemia
• Helps maintain normal levels of the amino acid homocysteine (cardiovascular disease is associated with elevated levels)
• Needed by hippocampus (brain structure) for new cells and memory
• Deficiencies associated with cognitive problems and decline, and some cancers

Chemotherapy side effects: Certain chemotherapies deplete folate

The most difficult aspect of chemo brain, at least for me, was that I seemed to allow my entire day to drift by without realizing it-- a symptom of excessive "slow brain waves."  I believe this is the "mental fog" so many chemotherapy and cancer survivors complain about.  It's definitely troubling to wonder where your entire day "went." 

IMPORTANT UPDATE:   New study reported at ASCO shows increased risk of relapse for breast cancer survivors taking certain antidepressants.  See the new article here.  I urge every survivor taking antidepressants to read the article and the original study and discuss it with your doctor.

History:

Brain Damage Occurred Early