The Importance of Folic Acid for Overall Health and Wellness

2023-07-27 06:41:44

Folic acid is an essential vitamin for everyone to maintain health. It is a water-soluble vitamin, also known as vitamin B9. However, the human body cannot produce it on its own and cannot accumulate it. Therefore, it must be obtained through regular folic acid supplements or intake of folic acid-rich vitamins. food to ingest. However, many people think that folic acid intake is only related to pregnant women. In fact, folic acid supplementation is necessary at any age to avoid unnecessary health risks.

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The role of folic acid

Folate plays an important role in the synthesis of proteins and DNA, the formation of hemoglobin, and the metabolism of certain amino acids. For middle-aged people, having a balanced folic acid is very helpful for cardiovascular health and can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, folic acid is also very important for cell replication, it helps to treat anemia, and during pregnancy, prevents fetal defects, helps fetal growth and normal functioning of the nervous system. Providing women with good egg quality earlier can also make a good contribution to sperm production in men.

daily requirement

The daily requirement of folic acid is equivalent to 200 mcg for women and men, although the daily requirement is higher for athletes and women taking oral contraceptives because pills containing progesterone and estrogen tend to interfere with folic acid absorb. Pregnant women are recommended to consume 400 micrograms per day, and breastfeeding women are recommended to consume 350 micrograms per day.

Low levels of folic acid may be caused by an unbalanced diet, a higher intake of processed foods than natural foods, alcoholism, intestinal malabsorption, and the onset of diabetes and celiac disease. Low levels of folic acid can have adverse health effects, such as anemia, especially in pregnant women, as it can lead to congenital abnormalities in the nervous system of newborns. If a woman plans to have a baby, vitamin B9 is one of the most important vitamins, and it should be supplemented before planning to conceive.

If the mother continues to conceive in the absence of folic acid, the impact on the baby may be borne by the nervous system, which cannot develop normally. If severely deficient, it may even lead to premature babies and spina bifida.

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Asian mother breastfeeding baby at home.

Determining whether folic acid is deficient from life

We can show whether the body has symptoms of vitamin B9 deficiency through some symptoms:

1. Physical fatigue and lack of energy: Difficulty performing simple physical activities such as climbing stairs.
2. Mental fatigue and fuzzy thinking: Difficulty concentrating, more or less severe confusion.
3. Shortness of breath: Feeling short of breath even when resting, the lungs take in too little oxygen.
4. Dizziness: Even when sitting.
5. Irritability and depression: sudden changes in mood, which can reach a pathological state in the most severe cases.
6. Neurologic symptoms: such as loss of sensation or muscle weakness, cognitive impairment and, in the most severe cases, even dementia.
7. Pale skin
8. Mouth ulcers: red, swollen and painful ulcers on the tongue.
9. Loss of taste and appetite

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Not high in folic acid

Is it possible to get too much folic acid? Generally speaking, the possibility of poisoning caused by excessive folic acid is very small, because if it is excessive, it will be excreted in the urine. However, excessive vitamin B9 may have side effects on the nervous system and exacerbate seizures in patients with epilepsy. Plus, high folic acid can mask vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to pernicious anemia, which can lead to nerve damage. Folic acid can make hair healthier. Many people pay attention to hair maintenance and intake of nutrients that help hair growth. According to research, folic acid can also play a role in having healthier and more beautiful hair. If your hair is brittle, especially from stress, folic acid can help.

How to take folic acid?

Folic acid supplementation is recommended when folic acid levels cannot be increased despite a healthy diet, within the range indicated by blood test values. Ideal intake is in combination with another B vitamin, B12. Combining folic acid supplements with vitamin B12 is often a doctor-recommended strategy for people who are deficient in these nutrients. They are both essential for the proper functioning of the body, both physiologically and psychologically, and are closely related. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to folic acid deficiency, any of which can lead to anemia. Only their synergistic effect can normal hematopoietic function. The easiest way to do this is to take a B-complex vitamin supplement, which usually also contains folic acid. Of course, folic acid is also mainly found in quite a few plants, such as leafy vegetables, legumes, grains, some fruits, and offal. Here is a list of top folate-rich foods:

Whole wheat flour, beans, brewer’s yeast, spinach, liver, beef, peanuts, chickpeas, lentils, sunflower seeds, asparagus, pork, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, soybeans, chicken, nuts, avocado, salmon, cabbage, whole fat Milk, yogurt.

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Folic acid is very sensitive to heat. Cooking folate-rich foods may destroy up to 95% of folic acid. Therefore, in order to absorb as much folic acid as possible from the diet, it is necessary to avoid high-temperature cooking of foods containing a lot of folic acid. Depending on the nature of the food, you can eat raw food, such as spinach. If your diet is deficient, you will have to take folic acid food supplements, perhaps in combination with vitamin B12.

Original text fromVOGUE Italian Edition

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