12 Folic Acid Uses And Benefits You Should Know

folic acid uses and benefits

Folic acid is also called as folate or vitamin B9. Men should eat enough folic acid in their diet to ensure the great cell development, tissue growth, and healthy brain development. Folic acid also plays the important role in cell division and production of the DNA, the genetic material.

People can get enough folic acid by taking supplements; however, it requires doctor’s consultant and advice before usage. Overconsumption of folic acid supplement can lead to several unwanted side effects such as abdominal cramps, rash, diarrhea, irritability, sleep disorders, nausea, confusion, behavior changes, stomach upset, seizures, skin reactions, excitability, gas and other severe side effects. Healthy foods like dried beans, legumes, and peas, citrus fruits, and citrus juices, dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, tomato, melons, bananas, asparagus, mushroom, shellfish, poultry, pork, liver meat and kidney, fortified cereals, and wheat bran are great and safe resources of folic acid. You should add these folic acid rich foods in your daily diet to get numerous health and beauty benefits.

Folic Acids Uses And Benefits – Why Is Folic Acid Important For Your Diet?

The healthy balanced diet should include a variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy fat. In a healthy balanced diet, we cannot miss folic acid. Why is folic acid important for your diet? To answer this question, I would like to introduce the great folic acid uses and benefits in the article on VKool.com.

1. Folic Acid Uses – Prevent Pregnancy Issues

folic acid uses - prevent pregnancy issues

This is the very first thing on the list of the best folic acid uses that we would like to introduce in the entire article today and want to encourage you as well as all other readers of VKool to learn and remember to make use as soon as possible for good!

In this article, it is actually very important for me to mention several great folic acid uses and benefits in pregnancy. Pregnant women and nursing moms should increase folic acid in their diet. To get the optimum benefits of folic acid in pregnancy, it is recommended taking folic acid supplements after they consult their doctor. There are great folic acid uses in pregnancy. For examples, folic acid is effective in preventing birth defects, increasing the chances of conceiving and enhancing the fetus development. If you want to conceive, you just need to take a daily adequate folic acid supplement. Expectant mothers should ask for consultants and advice from a medical practitioner and a doctor before taking folic acid supplements for conceiving. But during the first months of pregnancy, pregnant women should eat enough folic acid in their diet. Deficiency in folic acid increases the risk of low birth weight, cleft lip and palate, poor growth in the womb, miscarriage, premature birth and other pregnant issues.

How much folic acid should we take during pregnancy periods? Follow this instruction:

  • Women who want to conceive should take 400 mcg of folic acid daily
  • During the first three months in pregnancy period, women should take 400 mcg of folic acid daily
  • From the fourth to ninth month in pregnancy period, women should take 600 mcg of folic acid daily
  • Breastfeeding mothers should take 500 mcg of folic acid daily

Read more: How To Prevent Birth Defects During Pregnancy After 35

2. Folic Acid Uses – Promote Digestion

Malnutrition not only affects the health but also lead to digestive issues. Vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin12 are necessary for digestion health and it is also one of the folic acid uses. Folic acid plays the important role in promoting digestion. Vitamin 9 deficiency can cause indigestion, unwanted weight loss and loss of appetite. Folic acid also aids in protein digestive process in the body. Folic acid and other B vitamins like B1, B3, B6, biotin, and B12 are good for the digestion. Each B vitamin has its own uses and benefits. You can increase B vitamins intake by eating poultry, meat, fish and dairy products on a daily basis.

3. Reduce The Risk Of Crohn’s Disease

Deficiency in folic acid is believed to increase the risk of Crohn’s disease. People with a poor or impaired immune system are vulnerable to this immune deficiency disease. Folic acid deficiency leads to Crohn’s disease because this nutrient is absorbed in the ileum and jejunum of the small intestine. Folic acid deficiency means a poor diet, leading to not only Crohn’s disease but also diarrhea. Patients with folic acid deficiency and Crohn’s disease also have the loss of appetite. Prescribed or over the counter medications treat symptoms and prevent complications of Crohn’s disease. Moreover, you should increase folic acid intake through the diet and supplement. Sufferers from Crohn’s disease should take 1mg of folic acid supplement per day after consulting a doctor.

Read more: 9 Natural Home Remedies For Crohn’s Disease Pain

4. Folic Acid Uses – Treat Depression

folic acid uses - treat depression

Busy life and overwhelming job make people vulnerable to stress, depression, and negative mood changes. Fortunately, we can control that by eating a balanced nutritious diet and living a healthy lifestyle. Studies and research have found a close relationship between vitamin deficiency and depression. According to a research conducted at the University of York and Hull York Medical School, low levels of folate in the diet can lead to depression, anxiety attacks, and mood disorders. Some trial evidence showed that taking folic acid supplements helps reduce depression and stress. Therefore, talking about folic acid uses and benefits, we should not ignore that.

Folic acid plays the important role in protecting mental and emotional health. Folic acid can stimulate the feel-good chemicals in your brain. Moreover, it boosts the production of neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. It is a reason why folic acid is added into the prescription antidepressants.

Folic acid presents in healthy nutritious foods such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, okra, melons, bananas, beans, lemons, orange juice, yeasts, nuts, peas, tomato juice, and mushroom.

5. Folic Acid Uses – Reduce Acne

There are folic acid uses for both health and beauty. Eating foods rich in folic acid can reduce acne and prevent breakouts. Folic acid contains antioxidants properties that can flush out the excessive accumulation of toxins in the body. Folic acid is effective in removing toxins from your body. However, it is important for me to notice that overdose of folic acid results in patchiness, skin dryness and acne breakouts.

Read more: 24 Worst Foods On List of Top Foods That Cause Acne Breakouts 

6. Folic Acid Uses – Promote Hair Growth

In the article about folic acid uses and benefits, I would like to mention that folic acid consumption helps speed up the rate of hair growth. It is a reason why people with hair thinning or hair loss should increase folic acid intake in their diet to add the hair volume. Folic acid or folate plays the important role in the growth of tissues and cells in hair, nails, skin, and organs. Several studies showed that deficiency in folic acid can lead to hair loss and pray hair. Folic acid and other B vitamins are beneficial for the hair health. You can get the folic acid uses and benefits for hair by eating citrus fruits and juices, dark green vegetables, and dried beans. Other foods that are fortified with folic acid include rice, pasta, bread, cereal, flour, and grain products. If you cannot get the daily adequate folic acid through your diet, you can take folic acid supplements after consulting your physician.

7. Folic Acid Uses – Prevent Alzheimer ’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a mental problem related to the memory loss. Memory loss is a common problem when people age. However, if it affects the daily activity and physical health, it becomes Alzheimer’s disease. Some lifestyle changes are believed to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. And one of them is increasing folic acid intake in the diet. That is also one of folic acid uses and benefits. Folic acid is beneficial for mental health. Consumption of folic acid can improve your memory and enhance your concentration. To prevent Alzheimer’s disease, you just need to eat folic acids rich foods such as dairy products, beans, and green vegetables. Patients with anemia and Alzheimer’s disease should consume at least 800 mcg of folic acid daily. They can take supplements to get the optimum benefits after consulting a doctor. Older people need folic acid to prevent mental problems. Besides folic acid, vitamin B12 and B6 can prevent cognitive decline.

8. Folic Acid Uses – Reduce Diabetes

folic acid uses - reduce diabetes

Folic acid consumption can reduce the risk of diabetes. That is one of folic acid uses and benefits. Deficiency in vitamins like folic acid leads to diabetes and heart disease. To prove the folic acid uses and benefits in diabetes, Seto and his co-workers conducted a new study in diabetic mice. In this study, diabetic mice are fed daily folic acid supplements. After a month, mice who are fed daily folic acid supplements are noticed a significant improvement in diabetic condition. According to epidemiological studies, high level of amino acid homocysteine in the blood increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. B vitamins as folic acid play the important role in reducing the level of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood; therefore, it lowers the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

9. Folic Acid Uses – Prevent Menstruation

Some women may experience menstruation or a significant loss of blood during these days. Heavy flow, pain, and even exhaustion during these days may be caused by the deficiency in folic acid and iron. Preventing menstruation and relieving pain are folic acid uses. It is recommended consuming foods rich in folic acid and iron during the periods. You can take supplements if you consult your doctor first.

10. Folic Acid Uses – Keep Anemia At Bay

Anemia is a common health condition that affects people at any age, from children to the elderly people. Women are more vulnerable to anemia than men. Patients with anemia look pale and experience dizziness. Other symptoms of anemia include chest pain, difficulty in breathing, palpitations, and headache. Iron and folic acid deficiencies are a common cause of anemia.

Folic acid cannot treat anemia completely. However, eating folic acid rich foods can prevent and improve anemia condition. Both iron and folic acid play the important role in the formation of red blood cells. Therefore, it is important for you to get the daily adequate intake of folic acid and iron to keep anemia at bay.

11. Folic Acid Uses – Protect Dental Health

Folic acid or vitamin B9 is necessary for cell repair, cell growth, and disease prevention. There are also folic acid uses and benefits for dental health. Consumption of folic acid can help prevent oral health problems. According to some researchers, deficiency of folic acid during the pregnancy can lead to a craniofacial defect like a cleft lip or a cleft palate.

A child with a cleft lip or cleft palate needs to take dental work, speech therapies, and surgeries over many years. To prevent these oral and dental issues, women should consume enough folic acid before and during their pregnancy.

Talking about folic acid uses for dental health, I would like to mention that folic acid is effective in preventing gum disease. Folic acid aids in the growth of the cells in your mouth. Moreover, it also cures gum disease effectively. Besides eating folic acid rich foods and taking folic acid supplements, you can use folic acid mouthwash and toothpaste for dental health.

12. Folic Acid Uses – Reduce The Risks Of Cancer

Folic acid, one of essential B vitamins, is found in dark green leafy vegetable, legumes, and fruits. There are many folic acid uses and benefits. Some studies and evidence showed that adequate folic acid intake can protect your body against esophageal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer. Folic acid can be taken through supplements or foods. Folic acid can reduce the risk of colon and skin cancer.

For cancer prevention, adults should consume 400 mcg of folic acid daily. Elderly people or pregnant women need more folic acid. You can take folic acid supplements. However, do not take more than 1000 mcg of folic acid per day.

Folic acid also owns numerous benefits for hair and skin. If you are interested in nutrients for skin and hair, I would like to introduce the article “Top 19 Benefits of Biotin & Folic Acid for Hair and Skin”. Both biotin and folic acid are beneficial for hair and skin. In this article, you will know the great benefits and how to use folic acid and biotin for hair and skin.

These are 12 folic acid uses and benefits. Ensure that you get enough folic acid in your diet. Overconsumption of folic acid may lead to side effects for health. After reading this article, if you have any questions, you can leave it to bellow. I will answer as soon as I can.

Related articles on folic acid:

25 Foods That Are Rich In Folic Acid You Should Know

8 Great Benefits Of Folic Acid For Men Are Introduced 

10 Benefits Of Folic Acid For Women Who Are Expecting For Pregnancy 

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