Use Folic Acid To Gain A Healthy Body

Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells in our body. This is important during the period of fast cell break up especially in pregnancy and child growth. Folate is needed to replicate DNA. Changes to DNA which leads to cancer may also be prevented by folate. Thus folate deficiency hinders DNA synthesis and cell division, affecting mostly the bone marrow. Every human being needs folate which makes normal red blood cells and prevent anemia.

Folic acid is being considered necessary in our food since recent debate has emerged around the globe using the inclusion of folic acid in products such as bread and flour. Experts claim that this will significantly decrease disabilities in babies.

Most adults do not consume adequate folate. However, the folic acid fortification program in many countries has increased folic acid content of commonly eaten foods such as cereals and grains, and as a result diets of most adults now provide recommended amounts of folate equivalents.

Memory and mental agility: In a 3-year trial on hundreds of people over the age of 50, short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency were all found to be better among people who took 800 micrograms of folic acid daily.

Health risk due to consumption of too much folic acid: The risk of toxicity from folic acid is low. The Institute of Medicine has established a tolerable upper intake level for folate of 1,000 microgram (?g) for adult men and women, and an upper intake level of 800 microgram (?g) for pregnant and breast-feeding women less than 18 years of age. Supplemental folic acid should not exceed the upper intake level to prevent folic acid from masking symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Origin of Folate: Folic acid and Folate are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9. These occur naturally in food and can also be taken as supplements. Folate originates from the Latin word folium or "leaf".

Sources of Folate: The rich sources of folate are leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and certain other fruits and vegetables.

Reference Daily Intake: The Reference Daily Intake is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all 97 to 98% of healthy individuals. The Reference Daily Intake for folate expressed in micrograms (?g) for adults are: Men: (19+ years) - 400 ?g Women: (19+ years) - 400 ?g Pregnant women: 600 ?g Breast feeding mothers: 500 ?g

1 ?g of food folate = 0.6 ?g folic acid from supplements and fortified foods.

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