Folate, also called folic acid, is an essential B vitamin. Consuming enough folic acid is important for good health. It plays a key role in activities such as DNA and protein synthesis. Without folic acid, you are at risk for developing serious health conditions, especially during pregnancy.
Folic Acid Basics
Folic acid, part of the group of B vitamins that include B-12 and B-6, is a nutritional requirement, necessary in small quantities. It is available in both supplement form and in healthy foods such as spinach, turnip greens, peas, beans, avocados, bananas and oranges.
Birth Defects
Pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant are advised to consume enough folic acid to prevent birth defects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends 400 mcg per day for women at least one month before trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy. Because folic acid plays a role in DNA synthesis, it's strongly linked to preventing brain and neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. A folic acid supplement or a serving of 100-percent folic acid-fortified cereal is often recommended to get enough of the daily recommended level.
Anemia
Red blood cell production depends on proper levels of the B vitamins, including folic acid. Without them, red blood cells are depleted and anemia results. With anemia, red blood cells can't properly carry oxygenated blood throughout the body, leading to symptoms including dizziness and weakness. A lack of vitamin B-12 and folic acid are often the cause of vitamin deficiency anemia.
Heart Disease and Cancer
Folic acid, along with other B vitamins, may play a role in regulating levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which, if too high, may increase the risk of heart disease. Low folic acid levels may also play a role in DNA damage, which can lead to cancer.
Recommendations
The CDC notes that it's difficult to eat a healthy, balanced diet every day that includes all the nutrients you need, including folic acid. Because of this, they recommend a folic acid supplement or one serving of a fortified cereal. The nutrition label on the cereal container should read "100 percent" for folic acid, indicating a 400-mcg serving. A natural source of folic acid, 1/2 cup of cooked spinach, contains only 100 mcg of folic acid. You would have to eat four servings of spinach to match the folic acid found in one serving of a fortified cereal. Folic acid supplements are considered safe; but in certain individuals, side effects such as shortness of breath and weakness may occur.
References
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Folic Acid: Questions and Answers; March 10, 2011
- "The Journal of the American Medical Association" Patient Page; Folic Acid; John L. Zeller, MD, PhD; December 2006
- National Anemia Action Council; Vitamin Deficiency Anemia; January 14, 2009
