Folic acid is a B vitamin. Other names for it include folate, folacin and vitamin B-9. You can obtain it from grains, beans, fortified breakfast cereals, green vegetables, beans and pasta. If your dietary intake of folic acid is insufficient, supplements in pill and liquid forms are available, but talk to your doctor first.
Benefits
Folic acid aids in the production and maintenance of DNA and helps the body produce new cells. Low levels of folic acid during pregnancy can cause birth defects and pregnancy loss. Eating a diet rich in folic acid and taking necessary supplementation also reduces the risk of neural tube defects and cleft palate in fetuses, according to MayoClinic.com.
Folate Deficiency
Folic acid helps produce red blood cells, so a lack of folic acid can lead to anemia, which means your supply of red blood cells decreases. Red blood cells are responsible for delivering oxygen throughout your body. Symptoms include headache, pallor, fatigue, sore mouth and sore tongue. Treatment might include folic-acid supplementation, as well as whatever is necessary to treat the underlying cause of the nutritional deficiency. Possible causes include alcoholism, gastrointestinal problems, poor diet, certain stomach surgeries and side effects of medications.
Possible Benefits
Folic acid might offer other health benefits, although further research is necessary to confirm these effects, according to MayoClinic.com. For example, folic acid might reduce symptoms of vitiligo, lower the risk of vascular disease, help stroke patients, help treat gingivitis and other gum conditions, treat high blood pressure during pregnancy, aid in the regulation of blood glucose levels, slow age-related decline in hearing, improve the health of alcoholics, help treat coronary heart disease, improve cognitive function in women with low dietary intake of B vitamins, treat chronic fatigue syndrome, treat arsenic poisoning and help deal with complications due to methotrexate treatment for arthritis or psoriasis. Also, preliminary evidence shows that folic acid might decrease the risk of cervical, breast, pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers, though more studies are needed, according to MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
Folic acid is water-soluble, which means you can eliminate excess through urination. Consequently, obtaining too much folic acid rarely causes problems, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. But the fact that your body eliminates excess folic acid means you must have a continual supply of the nutrient. Typically, the most effective way to obtain sufficient folic acid is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. People between the ages of 14 and 50 require 400 mcg of folic acid per day, but other age groups might require less or more.
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