Folic acid, also known as folate, is one of the B vitamins --- vitamin B-9. B vitamins play an important role in many body functions, including metabolizing protein and fat and maintaining a healthy nervous system as well as a healthy liver, skin and hair. Folate is the natural form of the vitamin, found in food, while folic acid is a synthetic form used to fortify flour and other foods. A lack of folic acid has been linked to birth defects and is especially important for proper development in growing children and adolescents.
Folic Acid and Children
Folic acid helps cells to grow properly. Without enough of this important vitamin, growth could slow, so that children don't develop at the rate they should. Lack of folate, over time, can result in megaloblastic anemia, in which the person produces oversized red blood cells. Most of the studies on folic acid that have been done relate to pregnancy or older adults. In adults, B-9 deficiency increases the level of homycysteine in the blood, a substance linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers, including colon cancer. Changes in cell development that cause these diseases may take place over long periods of time, so it's possible that the changes begin with low folate levels in childhood but do not manifest as disease until years later.
Birth Defects
Insufficient folic acid during pregnancy has been linked to a group of birth defects known as neural tube defects. These include spina bifida and anencepholy. In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring producers of enriched grain products such as breads and cereals to fortify these products with folic acid. As a result, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports the rate of neural tube defects in the United States has decreased 26 percent since 1998. These defects occur early in the pregnancy, three to four weeks after conception, when many women may not realize they're pregnant. For this reason, the USDA advises women who may become pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant to increase their intake of folate.
How Much Folic Acid?
The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has established recommended dietary intakes for folate for children and adults. Infants 1 to 3 years old need 150 mcg per day. From ages 4 to 8, this increases to 200 mcg daily, and rises to 300 mcg daily for children aged 9 to 13. From 13 to 19, the recommended dietary intake rises to 400 mcg daily. Although there is no recommended daily amount of folate for infants, the board advises that 65 mcg is an adequate intake for babies up to 6 months old, while the adequate intake for infants from 7 months to 12 months is 80 mcg. In addition, pregnant women need 600 mcg of folate daily and 500 mcg while breast-feeding.
Sources
Dried beans, peas, and dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and romaine lettuce are good sources of protein. Many people get more than enough protein from fortified breads and cereals. For instance, one serving of fortified breakfast cereal provides 100 to 400 mcg of folic acid. Many prenatal vitamins also contain extra folate.
Member Comments