This isn’t an easy topic to write about nor is it an easy topic to find information about since it’s quite complex. However, we will share with you as much information as possibly can about this subject so that you no longer have any questions left un-answered by the end of this article.
Why Should We
Eat Some Daily?
Function
Folate is a B vitamin that occurs naturally in foods such as green leafy vegetables, citrus fruit, and beans. Folic acid is man-made (synthetic) folate. Folic acid is water-soluble.
Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means your body does not store folic acid. You need to get a regular supply of the vitamin through the foods you eat or through supplement.
Citation, Doi And Article Data
The antimicrobial drug class, the sulfonamides, inhibit dihydropteroate synthetase, the enzyme which forms folic acid from para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). This reaction does not occur in mammalian cells, hence does not affect human DNA synthesis and is specific for microbes. The chemotherapeutic methotrexate inhibits dihydrofolate reductase which converts folate into its active form tetrohydrofolic acid (THF).
Deficiency
Some women need up to 5 mg a day. Diabetics, epileptics, and the obese run a higher risk of bearing a child with a neural tube anomaly and should consult their doctor before planning a pregnancy. Signs of vitamin B9 (folic acid) deficiency:
Diarrhea;
Appetite and weight loss;
Tongue inflammation (glossitis);
Headaches;
Heart palpitations;
Irritability and mood swings.
Severe deficiency can cause red blood cell depletion in the blood, altered mucous in the cervix, intestines, stomach, and vagina (cells become malignant), and growth delays.