Vitamin Supplements
They are essential for you!
Defining Folic Acid
Folic Acid is a type of vitamin supplement. Folic acid is one of the
most important of all the vitamins. It is water-soluble and occurs naturally in
food. It is also essential nutrient primarily because it is required for
manufacturing and the preservation of new cells in your body.
Chemical Reference
Folic Acid is also known as Folate, Folacin, Vitamin B9, and 5'-methyltetrahydrofolate.
Symptoms of Deficiency
Vitamin is very essential for our body. Lack of Folic Acid can cause lesions on mouth, lips, skin, etc.
Dosage
Folic acid is one of the most vital substances in our body such that many people have included folic acid supplementation in their diets. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for folic acid is about 400 micrograms for adult men and women. The daily dose of folic acid needed for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers is 600 micrograms. This folic acid dose is sufficient enough to meet the body's needs. However, majority of the population has been found to not get sufficient doses of folic acid, primarily because American eating habits now do not involve folic acid-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits.
Sources
Folic acid is one of the most important vitamins. It occurs naturally in many foods. Fortunately, folic acid sources are naturally rich in the foods that we consume. If your diet includes fruits and vegetables, you will most likely not to be at the risk of folic acid deficiency.
Benefits
Vitamins are very essential for good health. Vitamin Folic Acid provides many health benefits. Some benefits are:
- Folic acid is always suggested for pregnant women and for those who are not even pregnant. Folic acid helps in developing your baby's neural tube, which later on turns into brain and spinal cord. Folic acid is significant during the first few weeks of your pregnancy.
- Folic Acid is very beneficial for fighting against the homocysteine, hence it reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Folic Acid is also very important in the prevention of many birth defects.
Side Effects of Folic Acid:
The
side effects of folic acid are not very ordinary. Some people have reported
occurrence of mild side effects which typically occurs due to unbearable doses
of folic acid supplements. These side effects include:
- Nausea.
- Insomnia.
- Decreased appetite.
- Flatulence.
- Abdominal distension.
- Difficulty in concentrating some bitter taste in the tongue.