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These days among the congenital disorders The U.S., Europe and the other countries' scientists did the epidemiological research in the neural ducts astresia, such as Spina bifida and so on.
They reported on the test results that the intake of folic acid, one of vitamin B group, decreases the risk of the onset of the neural ducts astresia in the age of the women who are able to be pregnant.
The U.S. and Europe countries warn the women able to be pregnant that they should take folic acid more in order to decrease the onset risk of the disorder. In Japan in December 2000, Ministry of Health, Labour and
Welfare hailed to push on the forward with the supply of the proper information related to the topic.
As same as the U.S. and Europe they are also considering that we need to do the countermeasures for the decrease of the onset risk by the intake of folic acid.
The onset cases of neural ducts astresia are often seen in caucasians, and it is considered that there is difference between each race. Robert and the others studied about the disease.
In 1999 they reported that by the intake of folic acid in the north of China where there has been high rates of the onset 79% of the onset cases decreased, and moreover in the south of China where there has been low rates of the onset 30% of the onset cases decreased.
In the relationship between folic acid and neural ducts astresia, according to the recent research, folic acid regulates the process that homocysteine is resolved into methionine.
The decrease of folic acid disturbs the metabolic process, and the blood level of homocysteine increases. It is presumed that because of it the neural ducts astresia occurs.

It has been verified by the animal experiments. The intake amount of Folic acid in Japanese women in their 20's was about 0.3 mg / day according to the calculation from the result in Japanese nutrition research in 1998.
And when the people take the food of the recipe which is made up on the basis of Japanese required dietetic amount 6th revision, the intake amount of folic acid is estimated as 0.4mg.
Therefore, RDA of folic acid for pregnant women is turned to be 0.4mg. In U.S.A. CDC, Center for Disease Control, studied of folic acid intake and neural ducts astresia. From the study results the center warned that in 1992 all women with pregnancy potential to be pregnant should take 0.4mg of folic acid daily.
Folic acid is one of vitamin B group and a water-soluble vitamin.
It is related to the blood formation. The lack of folic acid causes anemia.
Any disease by the excess of it has not been reported particularly.
It is not stored up in the bodies, so it is needed to be taken everyday.
Folic acid is contained a lot in green-yellow vegetables and fruits.
(From Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare the news announcement)

In U.S.A. and Europe there are many cases in arteriosclerosis.
Some epidemiological research about the relation between the onset rates and the intake of folic acid has been held. According to the research, in the onset rates of angina and heart attacks the group which takes folic acid the most was 31% fewer than the group which takes it the least.
The mechanism of the action is the same as written above that folic acid helps the metabolism of omocysteine, which can be a factor for the onset of arteriosclerosis as same as cholesterol. High blood homocysteine disorder can be seen in the people whose blood level of folic acid is low.
It has been found that the blood level of homocystein goes down by the increase of folic acid intake.
It is recommended to take 0.4mg of folic acid daily in order to prevent arteriosclerosis.

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Vitamin K activates prothrombin and the other blood clotting factors and is a necessary nutrient to make the blood clotting activity work properly. Recently, it has been also found that Vitamin K is needed in order that the protein osteocalcin existing in human bones may function properly.
A distinctive amino acid, γ- carboxyglutamin acid (Gla), is in the proteins depending on Vitamin K.
It can't be made without Vitamin K. In the type of the proteins like the osteocalcin the glutamic acid is transformed into Gla by Vitamin K, and it enhances the affinity to calcium.
These proteins are combined with calcium Ion, and the strength of the combination with hydroxyapatites gets stronger. It has been reported that in middle aged people the ratio of osteocalcin with the inadequate
transformation into Gla gets higher, and administering Vitamin K to them, the transformation into Gla will be accelerated.

Like the above, Vitamin K helps to maintain the normal blood clotting activity and is playing an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis by the improvement of the bone formation.
Natural Vitamin K is classified roughly into Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone ) and Vitamin K2 (Menaquione),and both are almost the same in the biological activities.
Vitamin K1 is synthesized by the vegetal chloroplast and is included much in green leaves vegetables such as spinach, etc and the sea alga Especially, the outside of leaved catching the sun in the vegetables is including Vitamin K1 a lot. Vitamin K2 is included in milk, dairy products, meats, eggs, and the general vegetables and is also made by the intestinal bacteria. With the ordinary dietary life, the deficiency isease of Vitamin K is unthinkable.

It is clear that the deficiency disease is related to only blood clotting. It is known that the cause of the gut hemorrhage and the intracranial hemorrhage in newborn babies is from the deficiency of Vitamin K. In the
clinical area it is being performed to administer Vitamin K to newborn babies.
That's why pregnant women should take foods including adequate Vitamin K. It is reported that the concentration of Vitamin K in blood rises by the intake of Chlorella It means that Chlorella is very helpful in order to supplement Vitamin K.

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Reported on the comparison of the bone's density between people given chlorella and a control group. According to the report, on the results of some items in osteoporosis of blood tests, any great difference was not acknowledged. However, in the division of the bone's destiny, it was recognized that the rate of the number of both the people who needed dietary guidance and who needed treatment for the disease had a noticeable difference between the dosed people and the control group.
(Please see the table below)

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Carotenoids are the natural pigments and included in colored vegetables and fruits. In human blood there are 22 kinds of carotenoid, and they are mainly composed of β- carotene, α- carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthine, cryptoxanthine.
They have been reported to have the effects of antioxidation and inhibition from carcinogenesis and are attracting the attention of people as the nutrients useful for our health.
The study of β- carotene has made the most progress, but lutein is also drawing the attention as a very useful component for eyes' health and 'lifestyle disease'.

In the U. S. the top cause of loss of eyesight is AMD, Age-related Macular Degeneration. It is caused because of the decrease of lutein in the eyes.
Lutein works to get rid of active oxygen. When lutein becomes short by aging and stress active-oxygen becomes more active and oxidizes macula in the eyes, and the macula deteriorates.

There was no effective way for the prevention before. In 1994 in Journal of the America medical ssociation it was reported that the people who took more vegetables which contains abundant lutein were 43% lower in the onset risk of AMD as compared to the people who didn't take those kind of vegetables at all or took a little. It was found that to take 6mg of lutein daily can prevent the risk of the onset, and it has been also found that the composite intake with zeaxanthine works to lower the formation activity of cataract.

Chlorella contains β- carotene, α- carotene, lutein, and the natural carotenoid can be taken quite easily.

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