by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
You have got in all probability had folic acid in your physique this week and even proper earlier than studying this text, as it may be present in numerous on a regular basis meals. Folic acid is the artificial type of folate, which is a pure supply of vitamin B in your physique.
You’ll find folic acid within the following meals:
- chilly cereals
- flour
- pasta
- bread
- bakery objects
- crackers
- cookies
Meals which might be naturally excessive in folate embody:
- leafy veggies
- asparagus
- okra
- some fruits
- yeast
- beans
- animal liver and kidney
- orange juice
- tomato juice
- mushrooms
You too can take folic acid as a complement, and they’re typically used together with different B nutritional vitamins.
On this article, we’ll dive deeper into folic acid and its advantages for well being.
Disclaimer: This text is for informational functions solely and isn’t meant to deal with or diagnose any situation. It is strongly recommended that you simply communicate together with your physician earlier than altering your vitamin plan or including any dietary supplements to your routine.
What’s Folic Acid?
Folic acid is a B vitamin. It’s also generally known as folate, vitamin B9, and vitamin M. Folic acid helps the physique make new cells and retains the immune system wholesome. It’s also essential for girls who’re pregnant or making an attempt to conceive as a result of it helps forestall beginning defects of the newborn’s mind and backbone (neural tube defects). Folic acid helps our physique produce and keep new cells. It additionally prevents adjustments to DNA that may result in most cancers and different sicknesses.
Folic acid is discovered naturally in leafy inexperienced greens, beans and peas, citrus fruits, potatoes, enriched grains, and cereals. Folic acid will also be added to some meals, reminiscent of flour. Folks could must take folic acid dietary supplements in the event that they don’t get sufficient from meals of their food regimen.
Is Folate and Folic Acid the Identical Factor?
That is truly an incredible query and one thing many individuals ask. Let’s look into issues a little bit additional.
Folate is a naturally occurring B vitamin that helps your physique kind purple blood cells and will help combat anemia. It’s present in leafy inexperienced greens, beans, citrus fruits, and dried fruit.
Folic acid is the artificial type of folate, which is used to fortify meals reminiscent of cereal and bread. Along with its position in purple blood cell formation, folic acid performs an important position in mind growth throughout being pregnant and infancy.
The distinction between folate and folic acid is that they’ve totally different chemical buildings. Folate happens naturally in meals, whereas folic acid is produced by including an artificial type of vitamin to meals or dietary supplements.
The Advantages of Folic Acid
Listed below are a few of the potential advantages of folic acid:
1. Helps forestall neural tube defects in infants
The fortification of folic acid helps forestall neural tube irregularities in infants. Folic acid dietary supplements will help to cease tube irregularities, together with anencephaly and spina bifida. Should you get sufficient folic acid throughout being pregnant, it reduces the possibilities of your child being born with considered one of these circumstances. In addition to stopping fetal growth points, folic acid dietary supplements additionally cut back the chance of being pregnant problems reminiscent of preeclampsia.
Should you’re planning to get pregnant or already are pregnant, discuss to your physician about taking a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid day-after-day for no less than one month earlier than conception by way of the primary trimester of being pregnant.
2. Helps with temper problems
Folic acid dietary supplements could cut back depressive signs. Folate is required within the mind to synthesize serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Taking folic acid dietary supplements together with different antidepressants could enhance signs in some individuals with melancholy.
In keeping with a 2022 evaluate of research, it was proven that folic acid and folate dietary supplements may assist decrease signs of psychological well being points, reminiscent of schizophrenia, postpartum melancholy, and bipolar dysfunction.
3. Promotes coronary heart well being
Folic acid has been proven to scale back the chance of coronary heart illness by decreasing homocysteine ranges, that are related to an elevated threat for coronary heart illness. Folic acid can even cut back blood strain and homocysteine ranges in individuals with excessive ldl cholesterol or diabetes.
A 2016 research discovered that individuals who used folic acid dietary supplements have been 10% much less prone to expertise stroke and 4% much less prone to have every other sort of coronary heart concern.
4. Good for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis
In immediately’s time, docs use folic acid dietary supplements to assist methotrexate prescriptions for rheumatoid arthritis.
Methotrexate is a vital and efficient remedy for rheumatoid arthritis, however it might take away folate from the physique, which results in gastrointestinal signs.
Research present that taking folic acid dietary supplements may cut back these unwanted side effects by roughly 79%.
5. Maintains mind well being
As we develop outdated, we are likely to have decreased mind capability, and folic acid has been proven to enhance temper and cognitive perform, which implies it has a constructive affect on our mind well being.
Sufficient folate consumption could assist shield in opposition to Alzheimer’s. In keeping with a 2019 research involving 180 adults with delicate cognitive impairment, taking 400 mcg of folic acid dietary supplements per day for 2 years improved measures of mind perform and lowered blood ranges of proteins that will result in Alzheimer’s.
