What folic acid is used for, its properties, foods that contain it, and side effects of taking it in excess

Folic acid is one of the B vitamins that the human body needs for good health. It is useful during pregnancy, preconception, and postconception, stimulates cell duplication, and helps strengthen hair and nails. It is available in different foods, but also in pill or capsule form, so you can always get a good supply of this element.

It participates along with vitamin C and B12 in the creation and utilization of proteins. This makes its role essential for maintaining health and a youthful, healthy appearance. Vitamins help produce more red blood cells, improve DNA production, and ensure that each person’s genetic information is stable.

Additionally, another property of folic acid is that it is water-soluble. Therefore, it cannot be stored in fatty tissues like other molecules we consume through supplements or food. Any excess folate is expelled through urine. While this is great because it prevents excess intake, it also has its downsides.

There are many questions and doubts about this vitamin, such as whether folic acid causes weight gain or causes skin discoloration, so let’s explain all the details, properties, benefits, and of course, the best uses.

What folic acid is used for

It is a key component in the formation and breakdown of proteins. This is the basis of many processes in the human body. For example, if you want soft, wrinkle-free skin, collagen is needed, and it is a protein. So, before you can naturally produce it, you will need folic acid. The same applies to facial, body, and overall skin sagging.

One of the symptoms of having low folic acid is losing the smoothness and natural look of the skin. You may feel how it ages and becomes dull quickly.

But that’s not all!

It also has other very healthy functions.

Additionally, folic acid helps improve cell and tissue growth.

It helps the baby grow normally and can create all of its internal organs, limbs, and cellular systems until birth. Taking it before becoming pregnant and during pregnancy reduces pregnancy risks and minimizes the number of congenital diseases that appear before and after birth. This means that folic acid during pregnancy is extremely important. Spina bifida is one of them.

So it’s no surprise that specialists recommend taking it in supplement form in pills or tablets when you mention wanting to get pregnant. Among other things, folic acid helps prevent the risk of miscarriage during the first three months of pregnancy.

Another of its functions, qualities, and properties is that it helps prevent anemia. Since it allows the better distribution of proteins along with some vitamins and ensures proper cell growth, you will have better health and better absorption of the nutrients in your food.

Additionally, it gives vitality to hair, so it is important for keeping long hair healthy.

It also works for oral health.

Advantages and disadvantages of taking it

Since excesses from diet or supplementation are expelled, you won’t have problems with this substance even at high levels. Therefore, it is considered very safe. However, this doesn’t mean you should overdo it. Instead, take the appropriate daily dose and eat foods with folic acid. This will provide more security by preventing side effects if you exceed the limit.

The downside is that there is a possibility of having low folate. Since the human body’s excretory system expels excess or unnecessary amounts, it doesn’t store reserves of this substance. So, there is a higher likelihood that at some point, the body will need it but won’t have the adequate amount.

This means you can go from having good health and a high amount of folate in your blood to being at very low levels in just a few weeks. This must be avoided at all costs. It is crucial to maintain the right levels.

Both pregnant women and children, adults, and the elderly must ensure they consume the proper daily dose.

Next, let’s see why it is important to avoid having low folate levels in the blood.

Folic acid deficiency

Normally, with a rich and varied diet, you can obtain a good daily supply, but there are special moments in the lives of men, and especially women, when it is necessary to increase folic acid intake.

When that moment arrives, it’s good to increase the intake of vegetables with green leaves as they have a high amount of this acid. You can also complement this by eating liver, which is very rich in this substance.

However, people who are unable to eat a lot of vegetables, either because they don’t like them or because they can’t find the right time, can instead increase their blood folate by taking one or two capsules a day to prevent folic acid levels from being low. This is the best way to eliminate deficiencies and strengthen health since low doses produce:

• Growth inhibition.
• Hair loss, low vitality, hair getting finer and shorter.
• Diarrhea and stomach problems.
• Sores and bleeding gums.
• Stomach, duodenal ulcers, etc.
• Tongue diseases such as glossitis, inflammation.
• Oxygen deficiency in the body.
• Anemia and lack of essential nutrients.
• Birth defects and miscarriages.

The most common symptom is the inhibition of cell tissue growth and protein deficiency. When this state is prolonged, there are signs of general fatigue and widespread illness.

But the good news is that it is very easy to increase it. You just need to increase vegetable consumption, and if possible, take a supplement from the quality brands we mention below.

Folic acid brands

You can find supplements in capsule or tablet form under the name vitamin B9 or folic acid since they are actually the same.

The important thing, in this case, is that it’s just a more or less commercial label, but not its quality.

Everyone has their preferred brands, and it’s good to have them. They guarantee that you take it with high purity and always have it on hand when necessary.

Here are some safe folic acid brands you can choose from:

Do all brands have the same properties?

You need to check the composition of each package. Some brands sell packages with only this molecule, so you only get folate. Others, however, add vitamin B12 or active ingredients to improve pregnancy health, or even promote better aging. So if you’re looking for a specific product, there are many chances that you’ll find one tailored to your needs.

Also, before buying it, pay special attention to ensure it doesn’t contain traces of lactose or other allergens. It’s quite easy to find folic acid in pills with omega fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and even oils like gamma-linolenic acid or evening primrose oil capsules. The current offering is very broad, and there are many different brands offering different products at the same price.

Folic acid foods or tablets

It’s always better to have a rich and varied diet that provides all the nutrients, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, and trace elements, than to add countless supplements. However, it’s true that at certain times, supplements are necessary.

In some cases, it’s highly recommended to increase intake as during pregnancy. At this stage of a woman’s life, it’s necessary to include many nutrients, and sometimes it’s hard to meet this need. So, in addition to a balanced diet during this phase, it may be a good idea to add folic acid tablets.

The same happens when we reach a certain age. In maturity, it is very likely to experience a lack of collagen proteins and antioxidants that block aging. So, in these cases, increasing folic acid intake in the diet can also be very beneficial.

Foods with the most folic acid include:

• Dark leafy vegetables.
• Vegetables with intense green color.
• Legumes, peas.
• Oranges, mandarins, lemons, and citrus juices.

Side effects

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, having high vitamin B9 is not a problem since it is expelled through urine. Since it is water-soluble, the human body expels it. Any excess amount is no longer absorbed. But this means you need to consume B9 or folic acid every day.

It is difficult to exceed any limit through food since you would need to eat huge amounts of vegetables. In the case of taking it through a dietary supplement, if you overdo it and take more than you should, your urine will generally contain a higher amount of folate.

However, some people may develop symptoms and side effects:

• Stomach pain.
• Diarrhea.
• Vomiting.
• Increased appetite.

All unwanted effects are mild, but if they appear, you should stop taking the supplement immediately.

People who experience an increase in hunger, although not typically associated with an adverse effect, may feel that folic acid causes weight gain, but that’s not the case. It’s a vitamin, and as such, it doesn’t have these characteristics or the ability to increase body fat. However, clearly, if you eat more, it is possible to gain weight.

Folic acid and Vitamin B12

Folic acid and vitamin B12 have a relationship in the human body. They participate in nucleotide synthesis, and vitamin B12, which contains cobalt, is sometimes called cobalamins. Its functions include:

• Converting part of food into glucose.
• Creating DNA.
• Controlling red blood cell production.
• Regulating blood homocysteine levels, an amino acid that is very important for heart health.

Just by looking at these functions, you can see that some functions are interconnected, such as the creation of nucleic acids in human DNA or the formation of red blood cells, a process also linked to this acid or vitamin B9. But there are many more properties and functions that these two molecules have together and separately. If you want to learn all the details and get full information on vitamin B12, there is a very interesting article.

Price of folic acid

It’s truly fantastic because it costs very little. Typically, a bottle of capsules costs between €5 and €10, depending on the brand you buy, making it accessible to the vast majority of people.

You can get folic acid at an affordable price and from the best brands. This is a big advantage since it can be incorporated into the diet and nutrition of people of any age. It’s cheap and very easy to buy.

A bottle of 100 capsules lasts approximately 3 months. You need one 400 mcg tablet per day.