Folic Acid

Folic Acid, which is also called folate or folacin, is actually vitamin B9 among many. It is a water-soluble B vitamin whose health importance revolves around three things, childbirth, cancer, and heart disease. Another term for it, by the way, is folacin. Both come from the same root as foliage.

It is also estimated that there are over 50,000 deaths to cardiovascular disease in the U.S. alone and that common birth defects as well could be cut in half if more B9 or Folic-Acid were in the diet.

Researchers say that folic-acid is involved in every bodily function that needs cell division. For example, it's used within the body to build muscle (thus proving beneficial to athletes), it helps produce nervous system chemicals, helps facilitate healing with wounds, helps create red blood cells Vitamin B12 and Folic-Acid were discovered almost simultaneously in the 1940s and it seems fitting for vitamin B12 and Folic-Acid are co-dependent upon one another as is the case with almost all vitamins and/or minerals. Any supplement taken of B9 or Folic-Acid is no where near as effective if taken with the other.

Benefits of Folic-Acid

• Lowers risk of heart disease and stroke. Those with a family history of high cholesterol are helped by abundant amounts of folic acid. It also helps regulate the body's production and use of homocysteine. Homocysteine is a double edged sword. In excess amounts, it can lead to the build up of plaque, but when regulated stops that from happening.
• Combats depression as folic acid, studies suggest, is often a nutrient missing from those suffering clinical depression. Folic acid or Vitamin B9 appears to also reduce high levels of homocysteine, which is associated with depression.
• Helps guard against Alzheimer's disease. Studies have shown that there is a high incidence of those having Alzheimer's having low levels of Folic Acid in their system. Those with high levels of it had good cognitive functioning.
• It improves female fertility. It also helps prevent neurological birth defects. Folic acid assures normal cell replication and helps the formation of DNA and RNA.
• Minimizes anemia. Folic acid taken with B12 helps anemia by producing red blood cells. Be aware: a high intake of one can cause a deficiency in the other.
• Slows progress of multiple sclerosis (MS). Taking a folic acid/b12 supplement helps maintain nerve structure and function.

As you can see, there are many advantages and benefits of folic-acid and as such it should be in your daily diet. Speaking of diet, what are some good sources of folic acid? Five cups of green tea, green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, asparagus, parsnips, black beans, broccoli, lentils, oranges, orange juice, wheat germ, white beans, raspberries, pineapple juice, etc. Nutritional experts strongly suggest eating the vegetables, legumes, or fruits above as raw as possible. In other words, without cooking them.

Why? According to the medical journal Alternative & Complementary Therapies (2(4):222, 1996), "Steaming and frying, two extremely common ways of preparing vegetables, can almost completely destroy the folic acid they may contain, and boiling for 8 minutes leads to a loss of 80%." Supplementation is also recommended with a folic-acid, B12 multivitamin as well to "supplement" your daily diet's nutrients.

Pecautions About Folic-Acid

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is 200 micrograms (mcg) per day for adult men and 180 mcg for women. Be advised some nutritionists are saying a minimum of 400 mcg. for each sex is needed. Potentially dangerous levels are from 5,000 to 10,000 mcg a day. Pregnant and/or nursing women along with others may require more. Speak with your doctor if you have any questions about this.

Again, be advised that folic-acid needs the presence of B12. Why? Because taking it as a supplement can hide deficiency symptoms of vitamin B12. Also, if you are taking the drug sulphasalazine (SSZ), it has been shown to cause functional folic-acid deficiency. Fundamentally, SSZ inhibits intestinal assimilation of folic-acid.

Talk with your doctor if you're taking it. Folic-acid deficiency shows no symptoms but it makes one more vulnerable to heart disease. Severe deficiency leads to chronic diarrhea, sore red tongue, and poor growth in children. Those who take medications for cancer, epilepsy, or alcoholism problems need more folic-acid and should plan accordingly.

Choosing Quality Folic Acid

Here's what to look for when choosing a good folic-acid supplement.

1. Folic-acid requires vitamins B6 and B12 so it can be converted into its active metabolite and thus made absorbable into the bloodstream.

2. The supplements should be produced at pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facilities. Facilities that are GMP registered comply with the most rigid standards so as to minimize the possibility of product contaminants. (These are the same standards pharmaceutical companies in the United States are required to operate under as mandated by the FDA.) Nutritional supplements are not regulated by FDA and as such fraud is rampant with many so-called supplements containing contaminants with 1 in 5 not having the ingredients as proclaimed on the label!

Folic-Acid Supplement

A New Zealand company we discovered in our research offers GMP compliant products. Their multivitamin supplement product is scientifically formulated containing not only folic-acid and vitamin B12, but also vitamins, minerals, trace and specialty minerals, and nutrient-rich enzymes. This world-class pharmaceutical grade quality vitamin supplement is a one-of-a-kind nutraceutical.

Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com