Folic Acid Delivers Health Benefits Beyond Pregnancy—Here’s How To Tell if You Need a Supplement

If you’re taking a vitamin B complicated each day, you are seemingly nicely conscious of the numerous advantages B nutritional vitamins have in your general well being. Certainly one of these important nutritional vitamins is folate (or B9), which helps your physique construct DNA, RNA, and purple blood cells—making it essential throughout being pregnant on your child’s improvement.

Whereas most individuals get sufficient folate from meals 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 usually beneficial 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 constructive results folic acid has in your well being, who ought to take a folic acid complement, and who ought to stick 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 Nationwide Institutes of Well being (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 could stop beginning defects in being pregnant

Whenever 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, creator of ‌Eat to Beat Your Weight loss program: Burn Fats, Heal Your Metabolism, and Reside Longer‌‌. Nucleotides assist type the central nervous system in a growing embryo, he provides.‌

Which means, getting sufficient “folic acid is important for stopping main beginning defects of your child’s mind and backbone, often known as neural tube defects, or NTDs,” says Stephanie Hack, MD, FACOG, a board-certified OB/GYN and founding father of Woman Elements Physician. Neural tube beginning defects could cause severe 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 turn into pregnant? “The CDC recommends taking about 400 micrograms of folic acid (or 600 micrograms DFE) each day to assist stop beginning defects,” says Dr. Hack.

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

That stated, it’s fairly arduous to get 400 micrograms of folate by means of weight loss program alone. That’s the place prenatal nutritional vitamins come in useful. They’re formulated with simply the correct amount of folic acid for pregnant individuals. And when you’re planning to turn into 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 typically 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 beginning defects.”—Stephanie Hack, MD, OB/GYN

2. It could deal with a folate deficiency

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

Folks 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 capability to soak up sure nutritional vitamins and vitamins.

Folks with an MTHFR gene variant may additionally be extra susceptible to a folate deficiency. The MTHFR gene is important for making the MTHFR protein—a sort of protein that helps your physique take in folate, based on the Nationwide Library of Medication. So in case you have a mutation in an MTHFR gene, your physique might not be capable of course of folate very nicely.

Folks taking sure drugs may additionally have low ranges of folic acid. Examples of medicines that may intervene along with your physique’s absorption of folate embody the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Antacids, used to deal with heartburn
• H2 blockers, used to scale back abdomen acid, together with cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), and ranitidine (Zantac)
• Proton pump inhibitors, used to scale 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 drugs, together with phenobarbital, primidone (Mysoline), and carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (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 might 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 be vital on your coronary heart well being. “It helps your physique break down an amino acid known as homocysteine,” says Dr. Li. When homocysteine ranges get too excessive, it might harm your endothelium—or the liner of your blood vessels. Over time, this could trigger blockages that result in severe coronary heart issues like stroke, provides Dr. Li.

Whereas there is no concrete proof that prime 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 a better danger of coronary heart illness general, per Mount Sinai.

Both means, getting sufficient folic acid is a protected wager in relation to reducing dangerous ranges of homocysteine and defending your coronary heart. Attempt to fill your weight loss program 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 gain advantage from taking a vitamin B complement.

4. It might assist decrease your most cancers danger

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

The reverse could also be true, too: “Low folate ranges within the physique are related to an elevated danger of most cancers,” says Dr. Li, citing an August 2018 assessment in Present Diet Stories.

Whereas scientists are nonetheless uncertain why folic acid has this anti-cancer impact, some suppose it’d 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 mistaken when making DNA, mutations can occur, which may 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 scale back your most cancers danger and keep wholesome general is by consuming a balanced weight loss program with folic acid-rich meals, and by seeing your physician often for any beneficial most cancers screenings primarily based in your age, household historical past, and present well being.

5. It might assist with despair

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

This implies getting sufficient folate might assist assist your psychological well being and presumably scale back the signs of despair, together with suicidality. The truth is, a large-scale September 2022 research 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 research individuals.

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

Researchers do have some preliminary theories about this connection, although. One is that “folic acid is required by the mind to provide neurotransmitters similar to serotonin and dopamine,” says Dr. Li. As a result of serotonin and dopamine each play an vital position in temper, growing them might scale back the signs of despair, he notes.

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

The underside line? There is no assure folic acid dietary supplements alone will deal with your despair signs. Speak 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 medicine.

Dietary sources of folic acid

For many adults (apart from people who find themselves pregnant or these making an attempt to turn into pregnant), it’s finest to get all of the folate you want from complete meals. The excellent news? A number of meals are naturally wealthy in folate, or are fortified with folic acid, so it’s seemingly you will get sufficient when consuming a balanced weight loss program.

Some meals naturally excessive in folate embody the next, per the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (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 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 of get sufficient folic acid from their diets, some teams, like the next, might 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 propose to get pregnant, and intention for 400 micrograms per day, says Dr. Hack. Should you’re at a better danger 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 beneficial, she provides. However all the time discuss to your physician first about correct dosage.
• Folks with excessive blood ranges of homocysteine: In case your blood work exhibits you’ve gotten excessive ranges of homocysteine, taking a folic acid complement might scale back your danger of coronary heart issues and decrease the amino acid to more healthy ranges in your blood, says Dr. Li. The beneficial dose on this case is 400 micrograms, he provides.
• Folks vulnerable 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.
• Folks with despair: In case your physician agrees, taking a folic acid complement alongside different therapies, like antidepressants and way of life modifications, may assist scale back your signs. However take note researchers are nonetheless unclear about how a lot folic acid to take to alleviate despair, says Dr. Li.

It doesn’t matter what your state of affairs, all the time verify along with your physician earlier than beginning a brand new complement as a result of some might negatively work together with different drugs or trigger unintended effects. Your physician also can assist determine the fitting dosage for you.

Who mustn’t take folic acid dietary supplements?

For some individuals, taking a folic acid complement would possibly do extra hurt than good. Use warning when you belong to one of many following teams, and all the time discuss to your physician earlier than beginning any new complement:

• Folks allergic to folic acid: It is uncommon, however potential, to have a folic acid allergy. Indicators of an allergic response embody pores and skin rash, itching, redness, and in extreme instances, problem respiratory, per the Mayo Clinic. When you have any of those signs after taking a complement, cease taking it and see your physician as quickly as potential.
• Individuals who take sure drugs: Generally folic acid can intervene with sure drugs and make them much less efficient. For instance, “individuals taking the seizure medicine Dilantin (phenytoin) ought to discuss to their physician earlier than taking folic acid, as a result of it may 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 intervene 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 potential to take an excessive amount of folic acid?

Whenever you take the day by day beneficial dosage, folic acid is mostly protected. However when you take an excessive amount of (greater than 1,000 micrograms, or the day by day higher restrict), you’ll be able to have unfavorable unintended 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 instances, seizures

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

You may often keep away from this drawback by taking a complement with one hundred pc of the day by day worth of each folic acid and vitamin B12, per the Mayo Clinic.

To be protected, all the time discuss to your physician earlier than taking greater than 800 micrograms of folic acid.