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[I170]Importance Of Folic Acid

by Nicky Pilkington, Nic

A planned conception is in fact, relatively new to many couples, and the importance of a prenatal diet is something that is often ignored. Eating well is important for both women and men at any stage of their life, but when it comes to pregnancy, a well-balanced diet is fundamental to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

However, very few women understand why diet is of particular importance when trying to conceive and how a multi-vitamin supplement can become your best fertility aid.

A prenatal visit to your doctor will reveal to you secrets that for a long time were ignored, including how important the intake of folic acid is before conception and during the different pregnancy stages.

Folic acid is one of the B vitamins, also known as folacin, folate, or Vitamin B9. This vitamin occurs naturally in citrus and dark green leaf vegetables, as well as other foods.

You can find acid folic in avocados, broccoli, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, spinach, oatmeal, and lima beans. Other foods rich in Vitamin B9 are orange juice, beef liver, chicken, beans, lentils, chickpeas, fortified breakfast cereals, and enriched pastas and breads.

The reason why the intake of this vitamin is important is relayed in its properties as regulator of cellular development and regeneration. Acid folic is more necessary during the first weeks of pregnancy, so if you have a diet rich in this vitamin, your chances for getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy are higher.

Acid folic also contributes to development of your unborn baby, providing the nutrients needed for the proper formation of the spinal cord and brain, producing also the red blood cells for both the mother-to-be and the baby.

Make sure that your diet includes enough acid folic from at least 3 months before planning your conception, and keep the intake as per your doctor's indications. Acid folic will reduce the risk of neural-tube defects (NTD) in your baby, also reducing your risk of miscarriage.

Although it is your doctor who will determine the dose of acid folic that you need, the recommended intake for most women of childbearing age is about 0.4 mg per day during the prenatal stage, increasing the dose up to 0.8 mg each day.

A woman with a family history of neural-tube defects might be prescribed with an increased dosage of acid folic, up to approximately 4 mg, to prevent potential pregnancy risks. If you are unsure of the correct dosage, almost any prenatal vitamins will provide you with the basic requirements for a healthy pregnancy.

Mild symptoms occur at levels over 15,000 mcg of folic acid intake. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 400 mcg per day, for pregnant women it is between 600 and 800 mcg per day and for lactating women it is 500 mcg per day. An upper limit of 1000 mcg per day has been established for supplements. It is considered to be of little benefit above that daily intake level.

Stomach, sleep and skin problems may occur at level of over 1000 mcg per day and seizures can rarely occur. For the most part folic acid toxicity is very infrequent since folates or vitamin B9 is water soluble. As such most excessive dosages are simply excreted in the urine.

The primary concern over excessive amounts of folic acid intake is that it can cause absorption problems when combined with certain prescription medications.

An anticancer drug used for chemotherapy called methotrexate is known to be less absorbed by patients taking excessive dosages of folic acid. Zinc and estrogen are also likely to combine with excess folic acid and becomes less easily absorbed. It is believed that excessive amounts of folic acid--more than 5000 mcg per day--may mask the symptoms of pernicious anemia. This is a disease in which absorption of vitamin B12 is inhibited.

Add to the list possible absorption problems with anticonvulsant drugs and barbiturates and it becomes ill advised to consider mega-dosing folic acid.
Still, finding that delicate balance between necessary levels of folates and excessive amounts is imperative for human health.

In 1998 folic acid enrichment of all grain products became mandatory in the United States because of the overwhelming evidence that folic acid prevents neuro tube defects (NTD) at least some of the time. NTD are profound birth defects causing spina bifida (opening in the spine), anencephaly (missing part of the brain), as well as cleft palate. Additionally, some limb problems and heart defects could be caused by deficiencies of folic acid.

Since 1998 one study has found at least a 19% decrease in the incidence of NTD's. Since the enrichment of grain has only increased the average person's folic acid intake by about 100 mcg per day it is possible that people still need to further supplement their diets.

Some factors may diminish a person's ability to absorb folates in foods and alcoholism appears to be among them. There is also an important problem with the bioavailability of folates in some foods. One notable food where bioavailability is concerned, is corn. Although corn contains folates they do not occur in a form which is easily absorbed by humans. Certain processing--for instance that involved in the production of corn tortillas--increases corn mill folates? bioavailability.

Dietary sources of folates include green leafy vegetables, chicken liver (1 cup supplies 1000 mcg), spinach and asparagus.

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Both Nicky Pilkington & Hari are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Nicky Pilkington has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Mastercard Credit Card and How to Sell on Ebay. For more information about and other preconception questions you can check out . Nicky Pilkington's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.

Hari has sinced written about articles on various topics from Advertising Guide, Home Improvement and Trucks. Author Vincent Platania represents the Stanley Home Products. Stanley Home Products has been in business since 1936, and offers high quality home and personal care products to keep your home and your body clean. Visit. Hari's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.