Benefits of Folic Acid in Red Blood Cells Re-Production

• Folic acid is a member of the vitamin B complex family and is essential for producing new healthy blood cells and maintaining a healthy body in general
• Other positive effects of folic acid: prevents periodontal disease, helps prevent osteoporosis
• Some folic acid rich foods include: eggs, asparagus, mushrooms and whole wheat products

Folic acid, also known as folacin, vitamin B-9 or Pteroylmonoglutamate, is a member of the vitamin B complex family. This family is essential for producing new heathy blood cells. Red blood cells are vital because they carry oxygen.

Folic acid is biologically essential because it helps maintain a healthy body. Folic acid is known to reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke. It also helps reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and cervical cancer and aids in the prevention of such birth defects as a cleft palate or cleft lip and those of the spinal cord and brain, also called neural tube defects or NTDs.

Folic acid has proved to be vital for the synthesis of thymine and adenine, two of four nucleic acids that produce DNA, chromosomes and genes.

Also, according to multiple studies, folic acid is effective in treatment of macrocytic and megaloblastic anemias caused by foliate deficiency.

Other positive effects of folic acid are:

• Reduces blood homosysteine levels
• May help prevent cancer
• Aids in protein metabolism
• Improves division and growth of cells
• Prevents periodontal disease (gum disease)
• Prevents and eases depression
• Prevents ulcerative colitis
• Helps prevent osteoporosis, anemia and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

A folic acid deficiency usually develops if a person does not receive enough folic acid in their regular diet. However, a folic acid deficiency can also develop in some other cases, such as with alcoholism (deficiency occurs due to diminished absorption of folic acid), severe kidney problems, cancer and pregnancy. Also, some medications can cause a folic acid deficiency.

Anemia is often one of the unfortunate results of a folic acid deficiency. The most common symptoms of anemia caused by a folic acid deficiency are: loss in appetite and weight, trouble concentrating, tiredness and weakness, forgetfulness and increased irritability. This is also the most common and slowly progressing type of the megaloblastic anemia. It occurs when the red blood cells become larger than normal. Generally, folic acid anemia develops in the elderly, adolescents, infants, women who are pregnant and/or lactating, alcoholics and in people suffering from intestinal or malignant diseases.

The best dietary sources of folacin are found in the following folic acid rich foods: eggs, liver, oranges, beans, strawberries, asparagus, leafy green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, and lettuce), mushrooms, sunflower seeds, okra, cantaloupe and other melons, tomato juice and whole wheat products.

According to a recent survey, about 89 percent of all Americans suffer from a folic acid deficiency. This means that many Americans do not get the necessary amount of folic acid from their diet. One issue is that much of the folic acid in vegetables is destroyed in the cooking process. Therefore, to ensure a minimum intake (0.4 mg per day), the fortification of some foods, like cereals, has been made.

Positive effects of folic acid can be also obtained from Blood Circulator, which is an all-natural dietary supplement. Blood Circulator contains 15 powerful ingredients including folic acid.Folic acid can also be found in Take One Multiple supplements or in B-100 Complex which is a complete B vitamin supplement.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.