5 Benefits of Folic Acid, Plus the Dosage and Risks to Know

If you are taking a vitamin B advanced each day, you are probably nicely conscious of the various advantages B nutritional vitamins have in your general well being. One in every of these important nutritional vitamins is folate (or B9), which helps your physique construct DNA, RNA, and crimson blood cells—making it essential throughout being pregnant in your child’s improvement.

Whereas most individuals get sufficient folate from foods like darkish, leafy greens, beans, and nuts, it is also added to sure meals merchandise and made right into a complement known as folic acid—a type of folate that is extra simply absorbed by your physique, and is commonly really helpful in case your folate ranges are low.

Regardless of the way you get this vitamin, it’s vital you get sufficient of it so your physique can really feel its finest. Right here, consultants share all of the optimistic results folic acid has in your well being, who ought to take a folic acid complement, and who ought to keep on with getting folate from solely meals.

First, how a lot folic acid do you want per day?

The common grownup ought to get 400 micrograms DFE (dietary folate equal) or 240 micrograms of folic acid from dietary supplements and fortified meals per day, based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Tip: DFE displays the upper absorption of folic acid over folate naturally current in meals. For reference,1 microgram of folate from meals is equal to 0.6 micrograms of folic acid from dietary supplements and fortified meals.

5 well being advantages of folic acid

1. It may stop delivery defects in being pregnant

While you’re pregnant, folic acid helps your child’s neural tube—what finally turns into their mind and backbone—develop.

“Folic acid helps the manufacturing of nucleotides,” that are the essential constructing blocks of RNA and DNA, says William Li, MD, writer of ‌Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer‌‌. Nucleotides assist kind the central nervous system in a creating embryo, he provides.‌

Meaning, getting sufficient “folic acid is crucial for stopping main delivery defects of your child’s mind and backbone, referred to as neural tube defects, or NTDs,” says Stephanie Hack, MD, FACOG, a board-certified OB/GYN and founding father of Lady Parts Doctor. Neural tube delivery defects could cause critical medical issues in infants together with:

• Cleft palate (a gap or cut up within the roof of the mouth that occurs when tissue does not be part of collectively fully)
• Spina bifida (a situation that impacts the backbone and will trigger bodily and/or mental disabilities)
• Mind harm

So how a lot folic acid do you have to take when you’re pregnant or planning to grow to be pregnant? “The CDC recommends taking about 400 micrograms of folic acid (or 600 micrograms DFE) each day to assist stop delivery defects,” says Dr. Hack.

Consuming naturally folate-rich meals (extra on this later) also can assist you to get the quantity you want throughout being pregnant. Many breads, pastas, and cereals are fortified with folic acid, so consuming these also can assist you to meet your each day goal.

That stated, it’s fairly arduous to get 400 micrograms of folate by way of eating regimen alone. That’s the place prenatal nutritional vitamins turn out to be useful. They’re formulated with simply the correct amount of folic acid for pregnant individuals. And when you’re planning to grow to be pregnant, begin taking a folic acid complement 12 weeks earlier than conceiving, says Dr. Hack. That is useful as a result of neural tube defects usually occur early in being pregnant, typically earlier than you even know you are anticipating, she provides.

“The CDC recommends taking about 400 micrograms of folic acid (or 600 DFE) each day to stop delivery defects.”—Stephanie Hack, MD, OB/GYN

2. It may deal with a folate deficiency

Whereas most individuals get sufficient folate (particularly in international locations just like the U.S. the place meals like cereals and pastas are fortified with folic acid), sure teams are nonetheless vulnerable to folate deficiency.

Individuals with alcohol use dysfunction, inflammatory bowel illness (IBD), and celiac illness can all have decrease ranges of folic acid, per Mount Sinai. These circumstances can mess along with your physique’s skill to soak up sure nutritional vitamins and vitamins.

Individuals with an MTHFR gene variant can also be extra susceptible to a folate deficiency. The MTHFR gene is crucial for making the MTHFR protein—a sort of protein that helps your physique take up folate, based on the National Library of Medicine. So in case you have a mutation in an MTHFR gene, your physique could not be capable to course of folate very nicely.

Individuals taking sure medicines can also have low ranges of folic acid. Examples of medicines that may intrude along with your physique’s absorption of folate embody the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Antacids, used to deal with heartburn
• H2 blockers, used to cut back abdomen acid, together with cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), and ranitidine (Zantac)
• Proton pump inhibitors, used to cut back abdomen acid, together with someprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), and rabeprazole (Aciphex)
• Bile acid sequestrants, used to decrease ldl cholesterol, together with colestipol (Colestid), cholestyramine (Questran), and colsevelam (Welchol)
• Anti-seizure medicines, together with phenobarbital, primidone (Mysoline), and carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs), together with ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve)
• Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), used to deal with inflammatory bowel illness (IBD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Triamterene (Dyrenium), a diuretic (water tablet)
• Cycloserine, an antibiotic
• Pyrimethamine (Daraprim), used to stop and deal with malaria and to deal with toxoplasmosis
• Trimethoprim, an antibiotic used to deal with urinary tract infections

What are the signs of a folic acid deficiency?

In case your folic acid ranges are missing, it could present up in your well being. Folic acid deficiency can result in the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Poor progress (in infants and youngsters)
• Tongue irritation
• Gingivitis
• Lack of urge for food
• Shortness of breath
• Diarrhea
• Irritability
• Forgetfulness
• Psychological sluggishness

3. It helps your coronary heart well being

Folic acid can also be vital in your heart health. “It helps your physique break down an amino acid known as homocysteine,” says Dr. Li. When homocysteine ranges get too excessive, it could harm your endothelium—or the liner of your blood vessels. Over time, this will trigger blockages that result in critical coronary heart issues like stroke, provides Dr. Li.

Whereas there is not any concrete proof that top quantities of homocysteine trigger coronary heart illness, there are some research to recommend that folks with elevated homocysteine ranges are greater than twice as more likely to have a stroke than these with wholesome ranges, and are at the next threat of coronary heart illness general, per Mount Sinai.

Both means, getting sufficient folic acid is a secure wager in terms of reducing dangerous ranges of homocysteine and protecting your heart. Attempt to fill your eating regimen with folic-acid wealthy meals. And in case you have a historical past of coronary heart issues, ask your physician whether or not you may benefit from taking a vitamin B complement.

4. It might assist decrease your most cancers threat

A eating regimen wealthy in folic acid could be protecting in opposition to some types of most cancers, together with abdomen, breast, cervical, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer, based on Mount Sinai.

The reverse could also be true, too: “Low folate ranges within the physique are related to an elevated threat of most cancers,” says Dr. Li, citing an August 2018 evaluation in Current Nutrition Reports.

Whereas scientists are nonetheless uncertain why folic acid has this anti-cancer impact, some assume it would relate “to folate’s involvement with the correct synthesis of DNA,” Dr. Li says. DNA is principally the “genetic code” or blueprint for the correct improvement and functioning of your physique. So if one thing goes incorrect when making DNA, mutations can occur, which might typically result in most cancers.

Nonetheless, there’s no concrete knowledge that taking folic acid dietary supplements prevents most cancers, per Mount Sinai. One of the best ways to cut back your most cancers threat and keep wholesome general is by consuming a balanced eating regimen with folic acid-rich meals, and by seeing your physician recurrently for any really helpful most cancers screenings primarily based in your age, household historical past, and present well being.

5. It might assist with melancholy

In response to the NIH, individuals with low blood ranges of folate usually tend to have melancholy. A December 2017 meta-analysis within the Journal of Psychiatric Research additionally discovered that folks with melancholy could have decrease ranges of folate of their blood than these with out melancholy. This will have an effect on your remedy, too, as individuals with low folate ranges could not reply as nicely to antidepressants in comparison with individuals with wholesome folate ranges, per the NIH.

This implies getting sufficient folate could assist support your mental health and probably cut back the signs of melancholy, together with suicidality. In truth, a large-scale September 2022 examine in JAMA Psychiatry discovered that taking 1 milligram of folic acid per day (which is taken into account the higher tolerable restrict for adults) was related to decrease charges of suicide and self-harm makes an attempt in additional than 850,000 examine members.

Whereas these are promising findings, the connection between folic acid and melancholy continues to be not absolutely understood. For instance, it is unclear whether or not a decreased urge for food (a attainable symptom of melancholy) results in folate deficiency or whether or not folate deficiency contributes to melancholy, says Dr. Hack.

Researchers do have some preliminary theories about this connection, although. One is that “folic acid is required by the mind to supply neurotransmitters comparable to serotonin and dopamine,” says Dr. Li. As a result of serotonin and dopamine each play an vital position in temper, rising them could cut back the signs of melancholy, he notes.

That stated, different research have discovered that taking folic acid isn’t any higher than a placebo in terms of relieving melancholy, based on Mount Sinai.

The underside line? There is not any assure folic acid dietary supplements alone will deal with your melancholy signs. Discuss to your physician earlier than making an attempt them, and if they provide the OK, add it to your remedy plan alongside clinically confirmed strategies like remedy and drugs.

Dietary sources of folic acid

For many adults (aside from people who find themselves pregnant or these making an attempt to grow to be pregnant), it’s finest to get all of the folate you want from complete meals. The excellent news? Plenty of meals are naturally wealthy in folate, or are fortified with folic acid, so it’s probably you will get sufficient when consuming a balanced eating regimen.

Some meals naturally excessive in folate embody the next, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

• Beef liver
• Greens (particularly asparagus, brussels sprouts, and darkish inexperienced leafy greens like spinach and mustard greens)
• Fruits and fruit juices (particularly oranges and orange juice)
• Nuts, beans, and peas (like peanuts, black-eyed peas, and kidney beans)

Folic acid can also be added to the next meals, per the NIH:

• Enriched bread, flour, cornmeal, pasta, and rice
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Fortified corn masa flour (used to make corn tortillas and tamales, for instance)

Who ought to take folic acid dietary supplements? 

Whereas most individuals ought to be capable to get sufficient folic acid from their diets, some teams, like the next, could profit from taking a complement.

• People who find themselves pregnant or plan to conceive: Begin taking prenatals with folic acid three months earlier than you intend to get pregnant, and purpose for 400 micrograms per day, says Dr. Hack. For those who’re at the next threat of getting a child with neural tube defects (as a result of you’ve gotten a seizure dysfunction or had different infants with neural tube defects), 4,000 micrograms per day is really helpful, she provides. However at all times speak to your physician first about correct dosage.
• Individuals with excessive blood ranges of homocysteine: In case your blood work exhibits you’ve gotten excessive ranges of homocysteine, taking a folic acid complement could cut back your threat of coronary heart issues and decrease the amino acid to more healthy ranges in your blood, says Dr. Li. The really helpful dose on this case is 400 micrograms, he provides.
• Individuals liable to folate deficiency: This contains individuals with alcohol use dysfunction, extreme malnutrition, inflammatory bowel illness (IBD), celiac illness, or the MTHFR gene variant, says Dr. Hack.
• Individuals with melancholy: In case your physician agrees, taking a folic acid complement alongside different therapies, like antidepressants and life-style adjustments, might assist cut back your signs. However consider researchers are nonetheless unclear about how a lot folic acid to take to alleviate melancholy, says Dr. Li.

It doesn’t matter what your scenario, at all times test along with your physician earlier than beginning a brand new complement as a result of some could negatively work together with different medicines or trigger uncomfortable side effects. Your physician also can assist resolve the fitting dosage for you.

Who mustn’t take folic acid dietary supplements?

For some individuals, taking a folic acid complement may do extra hurt than good. Use warning when you belong to one of many following teams, and at all times speak to your physician earlier than beginning any new complement:

• Individuals allergic to folic acid: It is uncommon, however attainable, to have a folic acid allergy. Indicators of an allergic response embody pores and skin rash, itching, redness, and in extreme circumstances, problem respiratory, per the Mayo Clinic. In case you have any of those signs after taking a complement, cease taking it and see your physician as quickly as attainable.
• Individuals who take sure medicines: Typically folic acid can intrude with sure medicines and make them much less efficient. For instance, “individuals taking the seizure treatment Dilantin (phenytoin) ought to speak to their physician earlier than taking folic acid, as a result of it might decrease the drug focus in your blood, making it much less efficient,” says Dr. Li. The identical goes for different anticonvulsant medicines like fosphenytoin (Cerebyx) and primidone (Mysoline), per the Mayo Clinic. Folic acid also can intrude with methotrexate to deal with most cancers, per Mount Sinai, and reduce the effectiveness of barbiturates and the anti-malaria drug pyrimethamine (Daraprim), per the Mayo Clinic.

Is it attainable to take an excessive amount of folic acid?

While you take the each day really helpful dosage, folic acid is usually secure. However when you take an excessive amount of (greater than 1,000 micrograms, or the each day higher restrict), you may have unfavourable uncomfortable side effects. Although uncommon, excessive doses of folic acid could cause the next signs, per Mount Sinai:

• Abdomen issues
• Sleep issues
• Pores and skin reactions
• Confusion
• Lack of urge for food
• Nausea
• In extreme circumstances, seizures

“Excessive doses of folic acid also can masks signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency,” says Dr. Hack. An extended-term vitamin B12 deficiency will be harmful, as it could result in everlasting harm of the mind, spinal twine, and nerves, based on the NIH.

You’ll be able to normally keep away from this downside by taking a complement with 100% of the each day worth of each folic acid and vitamin B12, per the Mayo Clinic.

To be secure, at all times speak to your physician earlier than taking greater than 800 micrograms of folic acid.