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/
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..It is well known and scientifically proven that vitamins and... Read More
When selecting a brand of Colostrum, you should be sure... Read More
ZMA is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral formula containing zinc... Read More
There are numerous herbal supplements on the market today that... Read More
A long time ago, in the country far, far away,... Read More
Looking for quality nutritional supplements can seem quite overwhelming at... Read More
Iron is a mineral that is essential to the health... Read More
In today's modern world most people, like us, just do... Read More
It's green, it's valuable, and it can vastly improve your... Read More
Your body produces over 20 separate digestive enzymes that are... Read More
Vitamin B6 is the hardest working nutrient in the human... Read More
Don't be overwhelmed by this big word, ... Read More
It is clearly evident that hyaluronic acid in its oral... Read More
Recently the news carried the story that a researcher had... Read More
Beta-Glucan is an extremely potent, immune activating substance taken from... Read More
This article will reveal one easy change you can make... Read More
Nutrients form the basis for your body, emotional and spiritual... Read More
1. Most of the modern western diets contain way too... Read More
Taking good care of your body means that you are... Read More
Vitamins are an important part of a health diet. Unlike... Read More
If you're constantly digging your hand into a jar of... Read More
Vitamin E is an absolutely vital nutrient in your body,... Read More
Fitness Supplement ? what is it?The term "fitness supplement" is... Read More
Simply stated, the Greek word glyco refers to "sweet." Hence,... Read More
Most parents' think their children are eating a fairly healthy... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..The malabsorptive nature of the gastric bypass system prohibits adequate... Read More
L-tyrosine is a protein that the body produces from phenylamine,... Read More
Our system uses a free-form gas called Nitric Oxide as... Read More
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is responsible for numerous deaths in... Read More
It's unfortunate but many people have digestive systems that find... Read More
Fiber supplements can be tremendously beneficial for IBS sufferers. Although... Read More
Amino acid supplements and amino acid food intake can bring... Read More
At the rate it's going, Saw Palmetto will soon be... Read More
Americans are buzzing about the FDA's recent decision to reverse... Read More
A lot of people actually pay a good deal of... Read More
ZMA is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral formula containing zinc... Read More
There are a number of pros and cons for vitamin... Read More
Throughout my childhood I was aware of the importance of... Read More
If glyconutrients are for real, why aren't they all over... Read More
Sometimes I ask myself why this wonderful antioxidant supplement was... Read More
Creatine ? The most researched performance enhancing nutritional supplementDoes creatine... Read More
Nitric oxide is a free form gas produced by the... Read More
Mineral Supplement ? be healthy.Why is mineral supplement so important?... Read More
Herbal supplements have become hugely popular over the years, and... Read More
Bodybuilding supplements generally fall under the classification of dietary supplements,... Read More
It is well known and scientifically proven that vitamins and... Read More
Whey protein is available in supplement form and whey protein... Read More
This complex mixture of nutrient-rich growth factors, immunoglobulins, glycoconjugates and... Read More
As I mentioned in Part 4 of my Real Health... Read More
This article will reveal one easy change you can make... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |