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Introducing
Folic Acid - Baby Protector
This is one of the most important member
in the B vitamins family. The terms folic acid and folate
are often used interchangeably for this water-soluble B-complex
vitamin. Folic acid, the most stable form, occurs rarely
in foods or the human body, but is the form most often used
in vitamin supplements and fortified foods. Naturally occurring
folates exist in many chemical forms. Folates are found
in foods as well as in metabolically active forms, in the
human body. In the following discussion forms found in food
or the body will be referred to as "folates",
while the form found in supplements or fortified foods will
be referred to as "folic acid".
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Why
Folic Acid?
First of all, you need folic acid to
build muscles and to keep your body strong and in good repair.
Folic acid is the most essential element in your body to
replace the old body cells with the new ones. Without it,
you can't make the new cells fast enough or well enough.
Folic acid is especially important for cells that wear out
and divide rapidly, such as red blood cells, skin cells,
and the cells that line your small intestine.
Folic acid is one of the B-complex vitamins that works with
vitamin B12 and vitamin C to breakdown the proteins and
the formation of hemoglobin (a compound in red blood cells
that is essential for transferring oxygen and carbon dioxide).
Another function of folic acid is creating coenzymes in
the body appears to be mediating the transfer of one-carbon
units. This makes it to be essential to all biochemical
reactions that use a one-carbon transfer and is produced
by bacteria in the stomach and intestines.
Folic acid does some other amazing things for your
health. In the past few years we've learned that folic acid
prevents birth defects, helps prevent heart disease, and
may even help prevent cancer. The evidence is so convincing
that since 1998 many common grain products, including bread,
breakfast cereal, pasta and rice, have been fortified with
extra folic acid. However, there are still large amount
of people being deficient in this vitamin. Since it is a
water-soluble vitamin, extra vitamin B9 supplements are
suggested.
Folate in food is nearly 50 percent less bioavailble than
folic acid in fortified foods and supplements. In fact,
folate is one of the few nutrients that is more beneficial
in the man-made form than the natural form.
Folate deficiency is one of the most
common nutrient deficiencies in the United States and can
result in megaloblastic anemia, which is characterized by
a reduced number of red blood cells. Side effects of anemia
include weakness, fatigue, headache, irritability, difficulty
concentrating, and shortness of breath.
Folate works closely with other nutrients
such as B12. We strongly recommend two of the supplements:
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What's
the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Folic Acid?
Daily recommendations for dietary vitamin
B9 are listed below.
Children and Youth:
Infants 0-6 months: 65 mcg/day
Infants 7-12 months: 80 mcg/day
Children 1-3 years: 150mcg/day
Children 4-8 years: 200 mcg/day
Children 9-13 years: 300 mcg/day
Adolescents 14-18 years: 400 mcg/day (female) 400 mcg/day
(male)
Adults:
Adults 19 years and older: 400 mcg/day (female) 400 mcg/day
(male)
Pregnancy all ages: 600 mcg/day
Breastfeeding all ages: 500 mcg/day
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