Fresno County Libertarian Party

CA's new law requires tortilla companies to add folic acid to their products. They're claiming that they're trying to, "Reduce birth defects in Latino babies." Lack of folate, or lack of synthetic folic acid, is the primary cause of neural tube defects like spina bifida. According to the CDC, the prevalence of spina bifida in the Hispanic population is: - 3.80 per 10,000 babies That's 0.00038%, or almost 1 in every 2,500. But, there is something called an MTHFR gene which makes an enzyme that processes folate, or synthetic folic acid. In someone lacking this gene, they'd have a difficult time breaking down folic acid. The body would struggle to convert folic acid into its active form (L-methylfolate), leading to high homocysteine levels and impaired neurotransmitter production. Lack of this gene would cause health issues like: - Chronic fatigue - Neurological issues (brain fog, memory loss, neuropathy) - Mood problems (depression, anxiety, bipolar) - Digestive issues (mouth sores, tender tongue) - Pregnancy complications (neural tube defects) - Blood clots - Inflammation The percentage of Hispanics who carry the MTHFR gene mutation which causes them to not be able to process folic acid is: - 40%-70% Forcing tortilla companies to add folic acid and advertising it as "We care about Hispanic babies" will create a health crisis in 40%-70% of the Hispanic population when there is only a 0.0004% risk of spina bifida. The problem is, most people won't even recognize that these health issues could be caused by a lack of the MTHFR gene. People will see their doctor complaining of the issues. Their doctor will run standardized lab tests. They won't test genes. They won't figure out the issue. They'll prescribe medications to "reduce the symptoms." Plus, if 40%-70% of the Hispanic population can't process folic acid to begin with, then the risk of neural tube defects and spina bifida won't really change anyway. Just another way CA lawmakers virtue signal claiming "We Care" while secretly trying to create more health issues.

Lower taxes - people want free stuff but no one wants to pay for it Has the Department of Education failed?