Folic Acid: The Important B Vitamin (Q and A)

Introduction:

Although the B vitamin folic acid (also called folate or folacin) was first identified in the 1940s, it's only lately that the nutrient has been getting a lot of attention. In the 1990s, researchers discovered that folic acid has very important health benefits. For one thing, it can protect against neural tube defects (NTDs), which is severe birth abnormalities that affect the brain and spine. Another reason for folic acid's recent popularity is the discovery that, along with vitamin B12, folic acid plays an important role in reducing homocysteine levels. This means that it helps protect against heart disease. In the late 1990s, the FDA ordered all enriched grain products such as: bread, cereal and pasta to be fortified with an especially absorbable synthetic form of folic acid.

(1)What is folic acid?

Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin that acts as part of a coenzyme essential in the manufacturing of new cells in human beings and other vertebrates.

(2)What is the function of Folic Acid in the body?

Folic acid is very important for making new body cells by helping to produce DNA and RNA, the cell's master plan for cell reproduction. It is also very critical for the metabolism of amino acids and the synthesis of proteins.

(3) Is there an RDA, RDI established for folic acid? (If there is give the requirements for a 25 year old adult.)

Yes, there is an RDA, RDI established for folic acid. The requirements for a 25 year old adult are 400 micrograms per day.

(4) Is folic acid stored in the body?

Folic acid is not stored in the body in large amounts and must be consumed every day so the body has enough to function properly.

(5)What are common food sources that contain folic acid?

Folic acid is found in a variety of leafy green vegetables. They include: spinach, kale, beet greens, liver and other organ meats, nuts and legumes, avocados, asparagus, broccoli and whole wheat. There are also enriched grain products such as: most breads, flour, crackers, rice, breakfast cereals and pastas.

(6)What are the toxicity potentials from over consumption of folic acid, via food or supplement?