What harm does folic acid

Folic acid, vitamin B9, is produced by the body in amounts sufficient to ensure normal functioning. Its deficiency is manifested by symptoms such as persistent headaches, depression and fatigue, nervous disorders and depression. A lack of folic acid is especially dangerous for pregnant women because it can cause abnormalities of fetal development. But no less dangerous and surplus.

Why the need for folic acid to the human body

Folic acid or vitamin B9 is necessary for the body, as involved in the hematopoietic function of the body, ensures the health and growth of hair, regeneration of skin cells, the ability of the nervous system to counteract the stresses. It is also important for good brain functioning, improves cardiovascular system, stomach and liver, improves appetite and digestion. Conducted in different countries studies have concluded that vitamin B9 reduces the risk of occurrence and development of ovarian cancer and breast.

For women of childbearing age the average daily dose of vitamin B9 is of the order of 400-500 µg.

Especially folic acid is essential for future mothers because its deficiency can cause serious developmental defects in the fetus. It is, first and foremost, congenital heart disease and malnutrition and defects of large arteries. B9 deficiency doctors attributed these malformations of physical and mental development, as cleft palate and down syndrome.

Because in the body there is a deficiency of folic acid, it must come together with food, but modern technologies of their cultivation and production are not allow to speak about a sufficient quantity of folic acid. Plants simply do not have time to accumulate it in the fruit and leaves, and subsequent storage and heat treatment, more than half of it is lost. Therefore, women have to take vitamin complexes and supplements B9.

Folic acid is found in wheat and it sprouted grains, bran, lentils, soy beans, and poultry meat, liver, egg yolks, nuts, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach and asparagus.

The risk of overdose of folic acid

As the lack and excess of vitamin B9 in the process of gestation can cause serious illnesses of the child after birth. Scientists from the us National Institute of environmental health has conducted extensive research, which was attended by about 2,000 mothers with children. It turned out that increased levels of vitamin B9 in the blood plasma in the period of gestation is a factor that triggered a tendency to asthmatic manifestations in children. These manifestations met these kids in 2 times more often than those whose moms did not consume uncontrollably preparations containing folic acid. The harm it has been proven and in cases when children under the age of one and a half years, whose mothers during pregnancy used folic supplements, was marked by an increased susceptibility to acute respiratory diseases.