Too much of a good thing? I've had a few people write in saying that their doctors have warned them against taking folic acid for fear that it could "cover up" cases of pernicious anemia. Although pernicious anemia is so rare in the U.S. that most doctors never see a case in their entire career, academia persists in warning against supplementing with this life-saving nutrient. The admonition goes something like this: You will get pernicious anemia and you won't know it until you start trembling, drooling, and wetting your pants: Drat! The folic acid hid your symptoms until it was too late and now you have irreversible neurological disease. But is this theory true? I remember distinctly being taught in medical school that it was. Of course, that's about the only thing they did teach in the line of nutrition except pellagra, beriberi, kwashiorkor, and other deficiencies you will never see in the U.S. I never saw a case of pernicious anemia in my entire career. In fact, I don't know of anyone who has seen a case. I'm sure they see it in Africa because Africa is a virtual cornucopia of diseases. (In Uganda, I saw two cases of tetanus in the same room. In the U.S., I saw one case in 40 years.) The bottom line: Don't pay any attention to those reports - and don't forget folic acid. Take 800 micrograms each of folic acid and vitamin B12 (by mouth) each day. You can check out the Daily Dose from 12/17/2003 or read the December 2002 issue of Real Health to learn more about the links between low levels of folic acid and both Alzheimer's and cancer. ************************* Low-carb and high romance? It may be essentially unknown outside French cooks and nutritionists, but you're going to love celery root. It's rich in phosphorous and potassium, and herbalists recommend it to people with rheumatism and arthritis because of its anti-inflammatory properties. And during the French Revolution, Madame du Barry believed it was an aphrodisiac and served celery root soup to King Louis XV "every night before they went to bed," so it must have worked. Like me, celery root is ugly on the outside, but sweet and beautiful once you get below the surface. Fresh out of the ground, it's so ugly that you wouldn't even put it in your garbage can. It's about the size of a softball, brown, knobby, hairy, and dirty. But when you cut into it, you find a crisp, white interior as lovely as a fresh cut pear. In the same family as celery, it has a complex flavor with a hint of lemon and a little licorice. And it's a great potato substitute with far fewer calories and next to no carbs. You can buy this tasty gem at farmers' markets and some grocery stores for less than $2.00 a pound. Cook it as instructed by my friend, Chef Melissa de Leon, and you will never turn back: Peel celery root and cut into large chunks. In large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the chunks for about 20 minutes (or until tender); drain well.
Return to heat for 1 minute.
Use an electric mixer, potato-masher, or food processor to remove all lumps.
Beat in milk, butter or cream cheese, salt, and pepper.
Serve with a light gravy (made without cornstarch) as a side dish with your poultry or meat. Not fooling around,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD
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