Folic Acid And Weight Gain

Folic acid may lead to weight gain in certain populations that lack the vitamin. Folic acid is the form of folate found in supplements or fortified foods. No evidence suggests it will make you gain weight if you get a sufficient supply of folic acid.

Identification

Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin, B9. Water-soluble vitamins must be continuously supplied to the body because they can't be stored, like fat-soluble vitamins. B vitamins are important for the conversion of food to energy. Folic acid is needed to break down, use and create proteins. It helps form red blood cells and DNA. It also is needed for cells to grow and tissues to function. Pregnant women and women who could become pregnant should take folic acid to prevent infant birth defects. Folate is found in leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts, while folic acid is found in fortified grains and supplements.

Preschool Children

Folic acid may enhance the appetite of preschool children with poor appetite, according to a 2007 study in "Pediatrics International." For 20 days, a group of children received placebos, and another group received folic acid. Parents reported that the group receiving folic acid was more hungry. Researcher Nikta Hatamizadeh and colleagues reported that further research was needed to determine if improved appetite would lead to growth.

Animal Study

In rats, folate deficiency can be signaled by low weight, according to a 1989 study in the "Journal of Nutrition." Rats who had been fed a diet without folate for 23 days gained weight when their diets were then supplemented with folate, but weight did not catch up with a control group that had been fed normal amounts of folate. A.J. Clifford and colleagues reported that in rats, growth can be a measure of folate deficiency.

Birth Weight

Folic acid supplementation during pregnancy is associated with increased fetal growth and increased infant birth weight, according to a 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Low birth weight is associated with increased risk of certain chronic diseases, including heart disease and stroke, later in life.

Underweight Adolescents

A 2000 study of adolescent girls in India found that iron and folic acid supplements resulted in weight gain, according to the "Journal of Nutrition." More than 70 percent of adolescent girls in India have anemia, which can be caused by lack of iron and/or folic acid. Researchers say iron and folic acid supplementation is recommended for weight gain among adolescents who are underweight.