Folic acid is actually just one of the many vitamins that make up the Vitamin B complex. Also known as folacin and folate, this indispensable nutrient serves the body in more ways than one.
While very much important for all age groups, pregnant women are the ones who actually benefit the most from folic acid as well as those who getting past the prime of their lives. However, despite all of its known benefits many people fail to meet the recommended daily intake levels of folic acid which can oftentimes result to various ill-effects on a person's health.
Folic acid is highly important to a person's growth as early the period of pregnancy, while a fetus is still developing inside a mother's womb, it greatly needs to be nourished by folic acid in order for it to come out strong and healthy. In fact, if a couple is even thinking about getting pregnant, the woman should immediately begin to monitor her folic acid consumption, making sure that she meets the suggested daily intake of folic acid. Most health care professionals recommend that every woman of childbearing age make sufficient folic acid consumption a nutritional priority. This is because this nutrient is vital to the development of the baby from the moment of conception. It can help prevent serious birth defects in the brain as well as in the spine, called neural tube defects.
Spinal Bifida is one of the more well known defects that can be caused by lack of folic acid in the body. Every woman who wants to have a baby should always be conscious of her folic acid intake because these types of defects usually occur within the first few weeks of the baby's development, even way before the woman actually realizes that she is indeed pregnant.
In addition to assisting in the formation of genetic material in each and every cell of the body, other important functions of folic acid include the formation of red blood cells essential to transferring oxygen and nutrients throughout the body as well as tissue growth. Folic acid, according to recent studies has been associated with various health benefits as well as serving as protection against debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's disease some cancers and heart diseases. It is also thought to offer a certain degree of protection from strokes.
Folic Acid deficiencies can cause a myriad of health problems. Among them are ulcerations in the mouth, inflammation of the tongue, peptic ulcers and chronic diarrhea. Folic acid deficiency can also contribute to certain kinds of anemia.
As a water soluble nutrient, Folic acid actually goes out of a person's body quite easily since it practically exits the body through the urine which is why the amount of folic acid in the body should always be replaced so as to not suffer from the consequences brought about the lack of folic acid. It is highly recommendable to actually consider taking some folic acid supplements to ensure that our bodies' folic acid levels are always replenished. This holds especially true for expectant mothers who need to ensure the good health of the babies that they're carrying. Like they always say, better safe than sorry.
When choosing a dietary supplement for your folic acid needs, it is always important to read and understand the label. This will help you to ensure that you are getting the daily suggested amount of folic acid which is needed for a person's good health as well as whether or not this supplement caters to one's specific needs. For example, something that is directly created for expecting mothers should not be taken by people who are not pregnant. Even though they both contain folic acid, they contain various levels of it that may prove to be too much or too little to some. When planning your supplement use, make an honest assessment of your eating habits. That way, you can select individual supplements that match your individual dietary needs and health goals.
Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR'S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/
Alto Pass chicago limos ..A fat burner supplement operates by breaking down body fat... Read More
Discount Supplement ? what is it?Discount supplement is a term... Read More
Vitamins and mineral supplements are a good way to supply... Read More
L-tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that plays a role... Read More
Since its discovery in the late 1950???s Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)... Read More
We all know that vitamin C is one of the... Read More
Lysine is an essential amino acid therefore it must be... Read More
Free radicals and oxyradicals play an important role in the... Read More
Since coral calcium is one of he hottest products on... Read More
Vitamins is something people been using for a while and... Read More
Did you know that vitamin B-1 has two other widely... Read More
Did you know?? 20% of Australian children reported symptoms of... Read More
Amino acid supplements and amino acid food intake can bring... Read More
Actually, my headache is not the result of just thinking... Read More
People accept arthritic disease as a 'natural part of the... Read More
GlutImmune? is a very convenient high absorption source of glutamine.... Read More
The body is just mind-bogglingly amazing. I mean, when you... Read More
When it comes to personalized weight loss programs and their... Read More
Finding out a little about amino acid basics enables you... Read More
Most parents' think their children are eating a fairly healthy... Read More
In parts one, two and three of this series, titled... Read More
I'm a great believer in natural tonics to strengthen or... Read More
I often hear people say that they have smoked for... Read More
A source suggests that there may be a new way... Read More
There are a host of choices for supplementing your Ironman... Read More
Alto Pass cool limo ..Nitric oxide supplement has many benefits and there are many... Read More
Health Supplement ? what is it?So what is a health... Read More
Does this describe you: You walk into the living room... Read More
At some time or another, most people have taken some... Read More
We have all heard that it is important to eat... Read More
Carboloading of a different variety.Saturday in Tucson before the 1982... Read More
OK, first let's get something straight here...If you think that... Read More
Made from cow's milk, whey protein is a pure, all-natural,... Read More
Iron is a mineral that is essential to the health... Read More
BCAA stands for branched chain amino acids and is increasingly... Read More
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body... Read More
Bodybuilding supplements generally fall under the classification of dietary supplements,... Read More
This complex mixture of nutrient-rich growth factors, immunoglobulins, glycoconjugates and... Read More
The benefits of whey protein are so numerous and apply... Read More
Did you know that when you take vitamins and minerals... Read More
Because whey protein products have a wide variety of uses... Read More
I often hear people say that they have smoked for... Read More
Some say that the benefits of this all-natural HGH releaser... Read More
People accept arthritic disease as a 'natural part of the... Read More
Myocardial infarction is a technical term used to describe an... Read More
Do you ever wonder why the experts keep saying that... Read More
Herbal nutrition supplements are everywhere these days. So should you... Read More
GlutImmune? is a very convenient high absorption source of glutamine.... Read More
Benefits of using Vitamin A products:Retinol is pure and active... Read More
Sometimes I ask myself why this wonderful antioxidant supplement was... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |