Folic Acid Benefits
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Folic acid's (folate) benefits include:
- Folic acid (folate) is necessary to form proper and healthy DNA
Folic acid (folate) is very vital to ensuring healthy DNA in cells by helping to produce the genetic material for creating the DNA and RNA proteins for the cells. Folic acid (folate) acts as a coenzyme for proper DNA and RNA synthesis. Folic acid (folate) does this in conjunction with vitamin B12 (cobalamin). - Folic acid (folate) is needed for healthy cell growth
Folic acid (folate) is very vital to ensuring healthy DNA in cells and so it also is needed to enable healthy cell division, cell growth and cell maintenance in every single cell in the whole body. The role of folic acid (folate) in cell division is so important that research indicates that a deficiency of folic acid (folate) may be partly responsible for the development of pre-cancerous changes to the cervix (cervical dysplasia). Studies also show that women who take the oral contraceptive pill may develop a folic acid (folate) deficiency, especially in the cervix, which could make these women more susceptible to the development of pre-cancerous changes in the cervix from certain carcinogens or chemicals. - Folic acid (folate) prevents neural tube defects
Folic acid (folate) is especially needed during pregnancy, when cell replication takes place in the growing foetus at a high rate. Folic acid (folate) is known to prevent neural tube defects (NTD) in the unborn child, as long as the mother's diet is rich in this nutrient prior to getting pregnant and during the pregnancy. This important discovery has led to doctors urging women of child-bearing age to increase consumption of foods rich in folic acid (folate) or to consider supplementation. Several countries have fortified many of their common foods with folic acid (folate) to ensure that women of child-bearing age do get enough of this important nutrient even without supplementation. - Folic acid (folate) prevent other birth defects
Many studies have shown that low levels of folic acid (folate) are linked with a number of birth defects. Folic acid (folate) is especially required during pregnancy for the rapid level of cell replication in the growing foetus. In one study of women who bore a child with a harelip (one or more split in the lips) were either given folic acid (folate) supplements or no supplement prior to and during the first trimester of pregnancy of their next pregnancy. The women who took the folic acid (folate) supplements had only incidence of giving birth to a child with a harelip, while the women who were not supplemented had 15 children born with harelip. This result is quite significant as it clearly shows a link between low folic acid (folate) levels and certain birth defects.
Folic acid (folate) is very vital to ensuring healthy DNA in cells by helping to produce the genetic material for creating the DNA and RNA proteins for the cells
- Folic acid (folate) is required to form healthy red blood cells
Folic acid (folate) is one of the nutrients required to ensure the red blood cells are healthy in structure and function. Some types of anaemia are caused by a deficiency in folic acid. - Folic acid (folate) is needed to create some of the amino acids
Folic acid (folate) is also required to form some of the amino acids once the proteins they come from are broken down. These amino acids are then used as the building blocks of the body, to be used in various important capacity (including the haemoglobin in red blood cells). - Folic acid (folate) prevents homocysteine build-up in the body
Folic acid (folate) prevents build-up of homocysteine, a substance which has well known implications in raising the risk of heart disease through its favourable effect on increasing the LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. Homocysteine also encourages the blood to become more "sticky" and clot more frequently, leading to stroke and heart attack when a major artery becomes clogged. - Folic acid (folate) is required for a healthy nervous system
Folic acid (folate) is necessary to ensure the nervous system works properly, the nerves are functioning correctly and mental health is normalised and the risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression can be greatly reduced. Some studies have indicated that a deficiency in folic acid (folate) may produce various mental health conditions such as depression, dementia and schizophrenia. In addition to this, studies have shown that high supplementation levels of folic acid (folate) improve some types of congenital mental retardation. - Folic acid (folate) is important for the immune system
Folic acid (folate) is required by the immune system to instruct the white blood cells to recognise the invading pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungii) and to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of all the different types of white blood cells to deal with the invading pathogens to prevention infection and disease.