What Are Folic Acid, Vitamin B-6 & Vitamin B-12?

Folic acid, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12 belong to a group of water-soluble vitamins known as the vitamin B complex, which also includes thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and biotin. When originally discovered in the 1900s, the B vitamins were thought to be a single vitamin, but upon further investigation, researchers discovered that they were actually several different compounds with independent functions.

Folic Acid

The term "folic acid" refers to the synthetic form of the B vitamin called folate. Folic acid is found in supplements and fortified cereals, while folate is found in legumes, spinach, lettuce, collard greens, broccoli and asparagus. Folic acid is absorbed more easily than naturally occurring folate. Folic acid is vital to making the DNA in your cells and helps your red blood cells divide properly. Folic acid is especially important for women in their first few weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid helps create new cells in the developing fetus and prevents the development of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

The Food and Nutrition Board provides recommendations for this B vitamin, based on folate, rather than folic acid. Adults should consume 400 micrograms folate per day. Pregnant women should consume 400 micrograms folic acid per day, along with foods that are high in folate.

Vitamin B-6

Vitamin B-6 acts as a coenzyme, a substance that allows enzymes to produce chemical reactions in the body. Vitamin B-6 is involved in more than 100 different chemical reactions that allow protein metabolism. Vitamin B-6 also helps your body make the iron-rich protein hemoglobin, which is contained in your red blood cells.

A wide variety of foods, including meat, fish, poultry, bananas, oatmeal, spinach, avocado, tomato juice, wheat bran, peanut butter, walnuts and soybeans, contain vitamin B-6. Adult women should consume 1.3 to 1.5 mg of the vitamin every day, and adult men should aim for between 1.3 and 1.7 mg daily.

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 helps keep your red blood cells healthy, maintains the health of your nerves and allows your body to synthesize certain fatty acids and amino acids that are needed to synthesize DNA. The only sources of naturally occurring vitamin B-12 are animal foods, such as meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. Fortified cereals and fortified soy milk contain synthetic forms of vitamin B-12.

Adults should consume 2.4 micrograms vitamin B-12 every day. The body's ability to absorb naturally occurring vitamin B-12 decreases with age, so older adults are encouraged to consume most of their vitamin B-12 in its synthetic form.

Considerations

Vitamin B complex is a commercial supplement that contains all eight B vitamins, including folic acid, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12. If you have trouble meeting your needs for the B vitamins through your diet, you may want to consider taking a vitamin supplement. You should always talk to your health care provider before beginning any type of supplementation.