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- Role of Folic Acid
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2. Folic Acid and It's RoleWhat is Folic Acid?
- Folic acid, sometimes called foliate, is a B vitamin (B9) found mostly in green leafy vegetables, orange juice, and enriched grains (1).
- Repeated studies have shown that women who get 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect by up to 70% (1).
The Role of Folic Acid
- In 1992, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, issued a recommendation that all women capable of becoming pregnant should take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily. In 1998, the Institute of Medicine Report Food and Nutrition Board issued a similar recommendation.
- By taking the recommended amount of folic acid daily, 50-70% of neural tube defects can be prevented.
- Women who have had a child with an NTD need to take a dose of 4 milligrams (mgs), or 4000 mcg, daily.
- Doctors and scientists are still not completely sure why folic acid has such a profound effect on the prevention of neural tube defects, but they do know that this vitamin is crucial in the development of DNA. As a result, folic acid plays a large role in cell growth and development as well as tissue formation (1).
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Why is it important that all women of childbearing potential take folic acid daily? Over 50% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplannedNeural tubes form in the first 28 days of pregnancy,before a woman knows she is pregnant. |
Folic acid can also help decrease the risk for developing:
- Non-NTD birth defects
- Reduces heart defects, cleft lip, cleft palate, limb defects, and urinary tract defects
- Cardiovascular disease
- Folic acid increases blood folate levels, which lowers homocysteine levels.
- Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- Folic acid increases blood folate levels, which lowers homocysteine levels.
- Cancer
- Growing evidence suggests that folate deficiency in normal epithelial tissues may predispose individuals to developing tumors in these tissues.
- Lack of folate in diet may play a role in early carcinogenesis
- Colon
- Folate intake is inversely associated with colon cancer, in other words, the more folate consumed, the less risk an individual has of developing colon cancer.
- Breast
- Higher total folate intake or multivitamin use is associated with lower risk of breast cancer among women who regularly consume alcohol
- Alcohol increases risk of breast cancer only among women with low folate intake
- Pancreas
- Maintaining adequate levels of serum folate lowered risk of pancreatic cancer in male smokers
- 25% were folate -deficient
- Growing evidence suggests that folate deficiency in normal epithelial tissues may predispose individuals to developing tumors in these tissues.
- Mood disorders
- Research indicates that low folate levels are associated with up to1/3 of all psychiatric admissions and more than 1/3 of all geriatric psychiatric admissions
- Patients with low folate respond less well to psychotropic medications (e.g., antidepressants)
- Patients respond better to medications after improving folate status
- Research indicates that low folate levels are associated with up to1/3 of all psychiatric admissions and more than 1/3 of all geriatric psychiatric admissions
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Very large amounts of folic acid may hide the ability to quickly diagnose a vitamin B12 deficiency, a sign of pernicious anemia
- Pernicious anemia can lead to serious brain and nerve damage if not treated with vitamin B12
- Pernicious anemia is rare in young and middle-aged people
- Today, there are a series of definitive tests to check individuals for a B12 deficiency, even when large amounts of folic acid are present
- Very large amounts of folic acid may hide the ability to quickly diagnose a vitamin B12 deficiency, a sign of pernicious anemia
