Folic Acid

Other names : 5'-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5'-MTHF, Acide Folique, Acide Ptéroylglutamique, Acide Ptéroylmonoglutamique, Acido Folico, B Complex Vitamin, Complexe de Vitamines B, Complexe Vitaminique B, Dihydrofolate, Folacin, Folacine, Folate, L-methylfolate, Methylfolate, Méthylfolate, Pteroylglutamic Acid, Pteroylmonoglutamic Acid, Pteroylpolyglutamate, Tetrahydrofolate, Tétrahydrofolate, Vitamin B11
Do not confuse with Folate The terms folic acid and folate are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. Folate is an essential B-vitamin that naturally occurs in food, also called vitamin B9 or folacin. It is required for cell division, DNA repair, immune function, energy production and cognitive health. Folic acid is a synthetic compound which is more stable and has a long shelf life. This is the folic acid that’s used in dietary supplements and food fortifications.

Special Precautions of Folic Acid

• Some of the studies found high levels of un-metabolized folic acid in the blood. This would suggest some kind of toxic effect from excess supplementation, as opposed to consumption of folate in foods, which would be metabolized and absorbed properly.
• A few years ago, folic acid was in the news for potentially increasing your risk of breast cancer as well as a variety of others cancers (including colon cancer) and cognitive decline. More research is necessary, but always take supplements in moderation and try to get the folic acid from natural food sources.
• Also, our body’s ability to transform folic acid into folate decreases as we age, so any supplementation may remain in the bloodstream even longer. This may be part of the link to cognitive decline in the elderly.

The benefits of Folic Acid

Vitamine B11 works together with Vitamin B12. So the symptoms often looks like a Vitamin B12 deficiency. The daily need for folate with its relative instability has helped Big Pharma push folic acid into MD's prescription pads and commercial food suppliers' "enriched" denatured grain products, especially breads and cereals. Maybe folic acid is not too bad all the time. It appears helpful in the short term for expectant mothers to prevent birth defects, but asthma seems more frequent among those children. It is certainly very risky over the long term. The liver can convert the isolate folic acid into the complete spectrum of isomers that constitute folate. But as we age, that ability declines. Then no matter how much folic acid you take, your folate blood levels decline. The result is a folate deficiency, which invites all those diseases associated with old age mentioned earlier.

• Fights Off Dementia : Patients with low levels of folic acid in their blood have a three times higher risk of experiencing Alzheimer's or dementia, according to The Daily Mail newspaper of London. If you have low levels of folic acid, increasing your consumption of dark green leafy vegetables, dried beans, orange juice and peas can help reduce your risk. The recommended intake of folic acid is 400 micrograms per day. You can take a supplement if you have trouble getting enough folic acid in your daily diet,. Do not exceed 1,000 micrograms per day, however. This is the upper limit for folic acid.
• Other Cognitive Improvements : A 2007 study from Wageningen University in the Netherlands published in The Lancet journal concluded that taking folic acid improved memory, communication and information processing. The study measured those older than age 50 over a period of three years. One group took 800 micrograms of folic acid supplements while the other group did not take any folic acid. The group taking folic acid improved in all areas of cognitive function while the group that did not, did not improve in cognitive areas
• Reduced Risk of Heart Disease : In addition to mental benefits, eating foods high in folic acid has been linked with a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke in the elderly, according to the Florida Folic Acid Coalition. Taking folic acid has been shown to reduce levels of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine has been linked with heart disease; reducing the risk can mean the elderly will experience better cardiovascular health.
• improves arterial elasticity to lower heart attack risk
• Reduced Cancer Risk : A lack of folic acid in the diet has been linked to increased incidence of a number of cancers, including colon, cervix, rectum, lung, brain, pancreas and esophageal cancers, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. This is because cancers like these are due to mutation and/or damage to DNA. Folic acid helps to synthesize and repair RNA and DNA; taking in more folic acid via fruits and vegetables can have protective effects against cancers.
• Has been found to attenuate the adverse epigenetic effects of bisphenol A, such as hypomethylation of DNA.

Food Sources

• Collard and other leafy greens
• Lentils
• Peas
• Chickpeas
• Papaya
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Strawberries
• Oranges and orange juice