Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin. In women who are pregnant, folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects affecting a baby's brain and spine. Even in women who are not pregnant, folic acid can provide some benefit, especially for women with certain medical conditions and those taking certain drugs.
Recommended Dietary Allowances
Many of the foods you eat contain folate, the natural form of the B vitamin, so you can meet your recommended dietary allowance for the nutrient with a healthy and varied diet. The amount of folate you need each day depends on how old you are. Teens and female adults 14 and older should get 400 mcg daily, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements reports.
Its Role in the Body
You body needs folate or folic acid to produce healthy and properly functioning new cells. In particular, your body requires folate to make DNA and RNA, which serve as the foundation for healthy cells. And because you need folate to make red blood cells, a proper intake of the vitamin can help prevent anemia.
Drug Interactions
Several medications can affect how your body is able to use folate, so women taking these drugs often benefit from taking a folic acid supplement, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports. Among the drugs that can interact with folate in the body are anti-seizure medicines such as dilantin and phenytoin; methotrexate; barbiturates; the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine; metformin, commonly used to control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes; and the diuretic triamterene.
Health Conditions Affecting Folate Levels
Women with certain health conditions can benefit from taking a folic acid supplement because of how their condition affects folate levels in the body. Women who abuse alcohol often have low folate levels because alcohol can affect folate absorption as well as the amount of the vitamin excreted by the kidneys, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports. Women with liver and kidney disease also often have a folate deficiency. If you have a gastrointestinal condition that causes malabsorption of nutrients, you may have a folate deficiency as well. Finally, because certain forms of anemia are linked to folate levels, you should check with your doctor to see if taking folic acid can help treat your condition.
Folate Deficiency
A mild folate deficiency often produces no noticeable symptoms. However, as the condition worsens you may develop megaloblastic or macrocytic anemia, two forms of the condition characterized by an inadequate supply of bone marrow cells. Common symptoms of these two forms of anemia include fatigue, shortness of breath and generalized weakness. Megaloblastic anemia can also result from a deficiency of vitamin B-12. To identify an exact cause, you'll need to undergo blood tests to check your levels of both vitamins.
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