Folic acid is a member of the B-vitamin complex, which means it is a water-soluble vitamin and the body does not store it. As a result, you must continually get enough folic acid in your diet or through supplements so your body can stay healthy. Because folic acid is especially important for a baby’s growth, deficiency in pregnant women can be especially harmful. Understanding how much folic acid you need and signs of deficiency can help ensure you get enough of this vitamin.
Functions
Folic acid plays key roles in the body, such as helping to form new red blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients in your body. The vitamin also plays a role in DNA production. Because DNA serves as the genetic code for cells to reproduce, a lack of folic acid can affect your body’s ability to build new cells. Also, folic acid works together with vitamins B-12 and C to help the body break down, utilize or generate new proteins. Proteins are used to make healthy skin tissues, blood vessels and tendons.
Deficiency Symptoms -- Adults
A lack of folic acid in your body may not cause immediate symptoms, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. If you are prone to folic acid deficiency, your physician can use a blood test to test for higher levels of homocysteine, which can indicate a lack of the vitamin. A folic acid deficiency can cause graying hair, diarrhea, mouth ulcers or peptic ulcers. A lack of folic acid also can impair growth or cause a swollen tongue. Long-term folic acid deficiency can lead to anemia, which affects the shape and functioning of your red blood cells.
Deficiency Symptoms -- Babies
A lack of folic acid in a pregnant woman’s diet can contribute to birth defects, such as impaired neural function or spinal growth in her baby. Because neurological impairment can begin as early as between 21 and 27 days of pregnancy, it is important for women who are trying to become pregnant to meet the recommended daily intake of 400 micrograms of folic acid per day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Pregnant women need at least 600 micrograms of folic acid. Your physician also will likely recommend continual blood tests to check folic acid levels throughout your pregnancy.
Solution
If you have been diagnosed with a folic acid deficiency, increase your intake of foods such as cooked spinach, asparagus, lentils, garbanzo beans and lima beans. Many foods also are fortified with folic acid, such as breakfast cereal that can contain between 200 and 400 micrograms of folic acid per 1-cup serving, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. If you have trouble getting enough folic acid in your diet, your physician may recommend taking a folic acid supplement.
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