Many may not realize that folic acid is a form of B vitamin. B vitamins used to be considered all one vitamin by doctors when they were first discovered but were eventually found to be a mix of vitamins that occur in the same foods. That's why you can usually find B vitamins sold together.
Folic acid is water soluble and found in beans, peas, green leafy veggies, meats and some fruits. You can also get folic acid or folate in fortied cereals.
Folic acid is needed in the body for DNA synthesis thus allowing cells to replicate normally. Also folic acid is needed for the body to make something called SAMe or S-adenosyl-L-methionine a coenzyme which contributes to your mood. Folic acid keeps the levels of homocysteine in your blood from rising. Homocysteine is a molecule that can raise your risk of developing heart disease, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis and strokes.
Folic acid is commonly suggested for women who are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant because it can prevent birth defects of various kinds including neural tube defects, limb defects, and cleft palate, or cleft lips.
It's so well thought of in the medical industry for decreasing risks of birth defects that there is discussion in Britain of requiring the fortification of foods with the vitamin.
It's been found that many people with heart disease in the United States have elevated levels of homocysteine in their blood. Doctors note that these people can control this by simply taking a folic acid supplement. It also seems to show that most people in the united states has a mild folic acid deficiency.
Symptoms of a folic acid deficiency are diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, headaches, heart palpitations, crankiness, and mild behavior conditions. Women who have a folic acid deficiency when they are pregnant can have low birth weight babies, and even preemies in addition to the increased risk for birth defects.
There can be many reasons for folic acid deficiency. There may be poor diet resulting in malabsorption, alcoholism, having a disease of the intestinal tract, or a liver disease and anemia. Also folic acid deficiency can develop from taking certain medications. As always it's a good idea to talk with your doctor about the symptoms and side effects of any medication you are going to take. Interestingly folic acid has been known to mask the symptoms of vitamin B12. A deficiency of this vitamin can cause anemia, which folic acid is able to fix. Folic acid is not a stand in for B12 though and will not correct other problems that develop as a result of B12 deficiency.
The recommended daily allowance for folic acid is four hundred micrograms. If you are pregnant or could become pregnant you should take between six hundred to eight hundred mcg. If you are lactating you may take up to one thousand mcg of folic acid. Do consult with your doctor about the proper dosage of folic acid to take.
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