What is folate?
Folate is a natural source of vitamin B9, which is found in various foods, most often, in leaf green vegetables, dried beans and peas. When folate is used as an additive in food, usually in bread, grains or cereals breakfast, or when it is taken as a supplement, it is called folic acid. It is an important vitamin, especially when used by pregnancy, plan to conceive or nursing.
The production and rapid division of new cells help folate. It helps to produce both DNA and RNA. This can reduce the chances of getting some forms of anemia and can help prevent cancer. Its most important use is for women who are trying to conceive, because it has been shown to significantly reduce certain congenital defects, called defects of the nerve tube. All women trying to conceive should start taking a folate supplement for several months before trying to conceive, and should continue to take folic acid during their pregnancy and during nursing.
<ZATMany vitamins are used in doses of milligrams, folate is collected in microgram doses. The recommended daily contribution (RDA) of adult folate is 400 micrograms (MCG) or 0.4 milligrams. Pregnant and nursing women should take 500 mcg and may require a prescribed supplement to folate or folic acid. How beneficial as folate can be for the body, too many folates can mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to anemia.
The risk of vitamin B12 deficiency in combination with adequate or overdose of folic acid is that the folate tends to reduce most symptoms associated with insufficient intake B12. Unfortunately, it does not correct permanent nerve damage. If the deficiency is not diagnosed and effectively treated, permanent nerve may occur. People over 50 should especially monitor their combined intake B12 and folate to avoid masking insufficiency B12.
Folate levels should be monitored between certain groups because they can be too low. It's all about providing balance. Some medicines disrupt folate absorption, including methotrexate, anti-convulsions such as dilantin and diuretics such as triamteres. Some conditions such as alcoholism, poor food absorption, intestine disease, kidney disease or liver disease may mean that folate is excreted before use or never properly absorbed.
Folate deficiency can sometimes be shown through symptoms such as slow growth (in children), poor appetite, weight loss, headaches and diarrhea. These symptoms may be small or present at all. It is important to follow the US RDA proposals to obtain adequate folate in the diet.
In addition to being an important nutrient in the prevention of congenital defects, the foil has several other benefits for the body. Reduces the level of homocysteine in the body that has been associated with a greater risk for stroke and heart diseaseOBY. Medical scientists have suggested that too small folate in the diet may be a causal factor in some cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer and pancreatic cancer. Folate can also help solve aspects destroying methotrexate cell, which is used in high doses to kill cancer cells and low doses to treat a number of autoimmune diseases.