💎 WHAT IS FOLIC ACID AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR ? BENEFITS

What Is Folic Acid ?

The widely known folic acid, or folate, is a vitamin belonging to the so-called group B. Strictly speaking, it is a nutrient (folate) that helps keep your body healthy, it is also known as vitamin B9.

Folic acid is found naturally in foods like peas, dry beans, and lentils, as well as oranges, derived from whole wheat, beets, asparagus, broccoli, and spinach.

What Is Folic Acid Good For ? Benefits

Folic acid is used to reproduce and maintain new cells in the body, and to prevent DNA modifications. Its benefits are wide and extensible to men and women of any age, protecting healthy cells, preventing anemia, mitigating hypertension conditions, strengthening the nervous system, and as an adjunct for the treatment of symptoms related to menopause.

In addition, folic acid reduces the risks of the appearance of cancer cells in the colon, cervix and breasts. If you want to know what folic acid is for, then we share its main benefits.

1. It Is Beneficial For Women

Folic acid is very important for the health of women of childbearing age and during pregnancy, as it protects the fetus from generating malformations, reducing the risk of developing congenital disorders in the neural tube.

2. Folic Acid Serves To Treat Serious Kidney Diseases

In patients with kidney diseases, folic acid, in an adequate dose, helps reduce the levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, which magnifies the condition.

3. Folic Acid Is Beneficial For Boosting Brain Health

Some studies show that taking folic acid, alone or in combination with other B vitamins, can improve memory and some neurological abilities in older people.

4. Serves To Reduce Risk Factors For Heart Disease

Folic acid’s ability to reduce homocysteine levels also makes it an ally to combat the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Such studies suggest that high levels of homocysteine in the blood are often determined by nutritional and genetic factors.

5. Folic Acid Help Alleviate Depression

Consuming folic acid in adequate doses also benefits people with a tendency to suffer from depression problems. Low content of folate in the blood is evaluated as an organic cause of the tendency to emotional decline and depression.

6. Folic Acid Serves To Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

Doctors often accompany methotrexate treatments with folic acid to combat rheumatoid arthritis. This drug is effective but significantly reduces the body’s folate, also causing gastrointestinal upset. Absorption of folic acid can mitigate such side effects up to almost 80%.

7. Prevent Autism

Some research suggests that consuming folic acid before and during the first weeks of pregnancy may help reduce the chance that the fetus will develop autism. However, such results are not conclusive, and require further evidence to quantify the potential effect of folic acid.

8. It Is Beneficial To Combat High Blood Pressure

Some studies and tests suggest that taking folic acid for a period of at least six weeks helps lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. However, the same studies clarify that consuming folic acid along with antihypertensive drugs does not seem to lower blood pressure to a higher level than dedicated blood pressure medications.

9. It Is Good For Increase Healthy Red Blood Cell Levels

Consuming folic acid combined with iron supplements can help fight anemia, generating more red blood cells. However, the single action of folic acid or its combined use, creates an effect superior to that of iron supplements for the treatment and prevention of anemia.

Final Words

You can see the multiple uses of folic acid for health, for men and women alike, highlighting its versatility during pregnancy. Like everything related to the intake of processed elements, medical guidance is always advisable to adapt the doses and consumption times to your very personal body.