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Folic acid (folate)

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Illustrations

Vitamin B9 benefits
Vitamin B9 benefits
Vitamin B9 source
Vitamin B9 source

Alternative Names    Return to top

Vitamin B9; Folate; Diet - folic acid; Pteroylglutamic acid

Definition    Return to top

Folic acid is a type of B vitamin. It is water-soluble, which means it cannot be stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of the vitamin in your diet.

Function    Return to top

Folic acid works along with vitamin B12 and vitamin C to help the body break down, use, and create new proteins. The vitamin helps form red blood cells and helps produce DNA, the building block of the human body, which carries genetic information.

Folic acid also helps tissues grow and cells work. Taking the right amount of folic acid before and during pregnancy helps prevent certain birth defects, including spina bifida.

Folic acid supplements may be to treat folic acid deficiency, certain menstrual problems, and leg ulcers.

See also: Folic acid and birth defect prevention

Food Sources    Return to top

Side Effects    Return to top

Folic acid deficiency may cause poor growth, gray hair, swollen tongue (glossitis), mouth ulcers, peptic ulcer, and diarrhea. It may also lead to certain types of anemias.

Too much folic acid usually doesn't cause harm, because the vitamin is regularly removed from the body through urine.

Recommendations    Return to top

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from the food guide pyramid. Most people in the United States have an adequate dietary intake of folic acid because it is plentiful in the food supply.

There is good evidence that folic acid can help reduce the risk of certain birth defects (spina bifida and anencephaly). Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should take a multivitamin with folic acid every day. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid to help prevent these kinds of birth defects.

The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends the following:

Infants:

Children

Adolescents and Adults

Update Date: 1/2/2007

Updated by: William McGee, M.D., M.H.A., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and Chairman, Nutrition Committee, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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