Folic acid belongs to the B-complex group of vitamins known as water-soluble. Below you will find all the information about this vitamin.
NAMES
English name : folic acid
Scientific name : vitamin B9, folic acid, folate
DAILY DOSE
Recommended daily dose:
– 0.4 mg (=400µg) for an adult (from 15 years old)
– 0.4mg (=400ug), for women who want to get pregnant (before conception) [source: Mayo Clinic, Book of Alternative Medicine, US, June 2010 update].
– 0.6 mg (=600µg) for a woman who is breastfeeding (according to the FDA – food and drug administration in the USA)
– 0.8 mg (=800µg) for a pregnant woman (according to the FDA – Food and Drug Administration in the USA. In Germany, doctors advise a dose of 0.6 mg and in Brazil a dose of 0.4 mg)
– 0.8 mg to increase the brain’s intellectual capacity, for an adult aged 50 to 75 (to fight Alzheimer’s, for example)
– the dosage must be adapted in case of megalobastic anemia, due to a lack of folic acid, talk to your doctor.
FOODS THAT CONTAIN FOLIC ACID
– Raspberries, beef liver, chicken liver, dark green vegetables (green cabbage), broccoli, eggs, cereals, fennel, orange juice, yeast, spinach, etc.
IT IS MADE
Synthesis of certain amino acids, key metabolic reactions, especially in the neural tube region (pregnancy), formation of red blood cells (haematopoiesis).
INDICATIONS
– Pregnant women: prevention of spina bifida and anencephaly in babies, if taken before conception and during pregnancy (see daily dose above).
– Autism prevention, according to an international study published in February 2013, taking dietary supplements of folic acid before and during early pregnancy reduces the risk of autism in the newborn by almost 40%. The timing of maternal folic acid intake seems to be very important in reducing the risk of autism in children, with four weeks before the onset of pregnancy and eight weeks after the onset of pregnancy seem to be ideal.
According to a study published in 2018, women who take folic acid dietary supplements before or after the onset of pregnancy may have a reduced risk of having a child with autism, according to a large observational study conducted in Israel, published in February 2018 at JAMA Psychiatry(DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4050). Researchers found that women who took dietary supplements (or a multivitamin, which also contains folic acid) before conception or during pregnancy were twice as likely to have children with autism spectrum disorder (autism) than those who did not. folic acid in the form of dietary supplements.
This study, called observational, could only find associations and not establish causality. Clinical trials comparing folic acid to placebo would be unethical due to the vitamin’s proven ability to prevent neural tube birth defects.
A Norwegian study published in 2013 in the American Medical Association scientific journal(DOI: 10.1001/jama.2012.155925) reached the same conclusions as the 2018 Israeli study. About one child in 41 was born autistic in the United States in 2018. The causes of this mental disorder remain unknown, thus limiting diagnosis, prevention and the treatment.
– Megaloblastic anemias , due to a lack of folic acid
– For a rejuvenation of intellectual activity of 5 and a half years, in healthy people aged 50 to 75 years, with treatment of 0.8 mg per day of folic acid, for 3 years,
– Liver diseases, acne , gastrointestinal disorders
– In case of treatment with methotrexate (eg in case of rheumatoid arthritis , psoriasis ) [advised 1 mg of folic acid per day or 5 mg per week; in case of mild methotrexate treatment, such as in the case of RP or psoriasis, dosage depending on the methotrexate dosage, check with your doctor)
– Alcoholics – drug addiction (in case of folic acid deficiency)
– Possible effect on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. However, a study published in November 2014 was critical on this matter.
– Prevention of leukemia for the fetus in pregnant women. Epigenetic factors would be the cause of the favorable effects of folic acid in the prevention of leukemia, according to a study by the University of California at San Francisco (USCF) in the United States, published in the journal Epigenetics in December 2015.
NEED
– Spina bifida in newborns: if the mother has not consumed a sufficient amount of folic acid during pregnancy, anencephaly (in newborns), encephalocele (in newborns), anemia , intestinal disorders…
EXCESS
– No known problem, little risk of intoxication, as folic acid is water soluble, that is, it is well eliminated by urine.
A study carried out in 2013 by Brazilian researchers from the AC Camargo Cancer Center, in São Paulo (Brazil), says that the consumption of folic acid can help prevent colorectal cancer , but if this vitamin is ingested in excess, especially in the form As a dietary supplement, folic acid may promote colorectal cancer. It is advisable to consult a doctor or a nutritionist to find out the recommended dose of folic acid according to your body’s needs.
COMMENTS
– The use of folic acid during pregnancy is prescribed and advised by all doctors. In Brazil there is a fortification of wheat and corn flour with folic acid and it has helped to reduce malformations (spina bifida, anencephaly).
– It is estimated that folic acid works with vitamins B6 and B12 to control the blood level of homocysteine, which reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes .
– The CDC (American Center for Disease Control) recommends a daily intake of 400ug of folic acid for all women between 15 and 45 years old. Consumption of folic acid reduces by 50 to 70% the risk of developing brain disorders (including autism) and spinal malformations (spina bifida) in developing fetuses.
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