Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, which is a B vitamin. While folate is found naturally in some foods, folic acid is added to supplements and fortified foods. The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements reports that folic acid helps produce and maintain new cells and is required for the production of DNA and maintaining DNA health. Folic acid deficiency can result in low red blood cell count, which leads to anemia.
Birth Defect Prevention
One of the biggest benefits of folic acid is the prevention of birth defects. Taking folic acid before conception and during pregnancy has been shown to prevent neural tube defects, specifically those affecting the brain and spine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that women take 400 mcg of folic acid daily. According to a study published in the "Journal of Pediatrics," between 1992 and 2009, more than 900 babies were born with neural tube defects in a high prevalence area of South Carolina. In subsequent pregnancies, .2 percent of babies were affected with neural tube defects in mothers who consumed folic acid prior to conception, compared with 6 percent in mothers who did not take folic acid supplements. In 2005, thanks to the knowledge of the protective benefits of folic acid, neural tube defects in this population matched the typical rate in the U.S., .69 cases per 1,000 live births.
Brain Function
Adequate levels of folate are necessary for proper brain function, according to University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine research, and deficiency can lead to neurological problems like depression and cognitive impairment. Folate has also been linked to the prevention of memory decline and dementia in seniors. In 2005, researchers in the Netherlands studied the effects of daily folic acid supplementation in people ages 50 to 75. After three years, study participants received scores on memory tests comparable to people more than five years younger. They also performed significantly better than others the same age on cognitive speed tests.
Sources of Folic Acid
The recommended daily allowance of folate or folic acid is 400 mcg a day. According to the Ohio State University, fruits and vegetables provide more than one-third of the folate in the diet. Grains contain just over 20 percent of the RDA of folate. Legumes, nuts and seeds contribute less than 20 percent. Foods fortified with folic acid include breakfast cereal, which contain 25 to 100 percent of the RDA. Enriched rice and noodles contain 15 percent of the RDA, and enriched whole-wheat and white bread contains 6 percent of the RDA.
Folate vs. Folic Acid
Folate is found naturally in foods, while folic acid is artificially created. While the body only partially absorbs natural folate, synthetic folic acid is nearly completely absorbed, according to Northern Arizona University. Even though folate enrichment programs promote the idea that that folic acid and folate are completely interchangeable, researchers from Academy for Educational Development in Washington, D.C., are not so sure. There is some concern, according to lead study author Omar Dary, that the synthetic vitamin might have some adverse effects that do not exist with folate. Further, the level of folic acid intake that is safe for one person may pose a potential danger to another.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Folic Acid
- "The Journal of Pediatrics"; Long-term Maintenance of Neural Tube Defects Prevention in a High Prevalence State; Julianne S. Collins, Ph.D.; 2007
- CBS.com: Can Folic Acid Slow Brain Drain; Joey Arak; June 2005
- The Ohio State University: Folate
- Northern Arizona University: What is Folic Acid?; 2002
- Science Daily: Health Benefits, Consequences of Folic Acid Dependent on Circumstances
Member Comments