The Benefits of Folic Acid and What Foods Have It

One of the B-complex vitamins you may have not known about is Folic Acid, also known as folate or folacin and vitamin B9. Folic acid is essential for our cells to function and during pregnancy extra folic acid is needed for the development of the fetus. Folic acid is also used in the treatment of alcoholism, anemia and larger doses may be needed while breastfeeding. Folic acid has a vital effect on the developing cells of a growing fetus and without enough folic acid the fetus has a chance of developing spinal cord defects.

This essential vitamin plays a big role on the production of heme, which is the iron rich substance that is found in hemoglobin. Folic acid is manufactured by the body, stored in the liver and assists in turning the food we eat into energy for us to burn.

Studies suggest that folic acid plays a role in depression, from mild to moderate. Scientists state that not enough folic acid in our system can cause bouts of depression or add to an already depressed state. Scientists also say that everyone should be getting the daily-recommended amount of folic acid; as a result of folic acid's importance, many foods, from cereal to breads, are now fortified with folic acid.

Who Should Take Folic Acid?
Everyone should be getting a good intake of folic acid.
Pregnant women need twice as much folic acid.
People that are in a depressed state should take a folic acid supplement.
Children under the age of 15-years should take a folic acid supplement.

What is the Daily Recommended Intake of Folic Acid?
The recommended daily adult intake of folic acid is 400mcg.
The recommended daily child intake of folic acid is 200mcg for children 12-15 years of age.

How to get Folic Acid as a Dietary Source?
The best dietary source of folic acid is in green vegetables such as, green beans, leeks, artichokes and celery. Another great dietary source of folic acid is in starchy vegetables like, potatoes, yucca root, turnip root, beans and all of the citrus fruits are loaded with folic acid, including grapes. In addition to the fruits and vegetables, many processed foods and beverages are supplemented with folic acid; orange juice for instance, is loaded with extra folic acid and is a great way to get the daily-recommended amount.

Folic Acid Deficiency, Symptoms
The symptoms of folic acid are easy to spot; an individual with a folic acid deficiency will have severe acne along with severe bouts of fatigue. The long-term effects from folic acid deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, anemia, cervical cancer and bowel cancer.

There are no known side effects from taking folic acid and no know cases of over dose have been reported. There are several ways to get folic acid into your system; one is by taking a supplement such as a multivitamin fortified with folic acid and the other is to eat plenty of foods that are enriched with folic acid.

References for this article came from www.viatamins-nutrition.com and www.lifeclinic.com