Folic acid(vitamin B 9) ensures the necessary speed of growth and development of the unborn child, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of developing congenital defects in the fetus, in particular neural tube defects (for example, spina bifida), hydrocephalus, anencephaly, as well as malnutrition and prematurity.
Who is deficient in folic acid?
Every second woman has folic acid deficiency. Their proportion is even higher among women taking hormonal drugs and alcohol.
Folic acid before pregnancy: when is B9 most needed?
A pregnant woman's body needs folic acid most of all in the first month after conception, that is, up to 2 weeks of delay, since the neural tube is formed 16-28 days after conception, when the expectant mother sometimes does not even suspect that she is pregnant.
How to prevent folic acid deficiency during pregnancy?
Even before conception (three to six months before it), as well as throughout pregnancy, to prevent developmental disorders in the embryo, a woman should take at least 800 mcg (0.8 mg) of folic acid daily.
Who needs to take folic acid?
Folic acid is prescribed to all pregnant women, regardless of the nature of their diet. If a woman has already given birth to a child with such a defect in the past, or there have been cases of similar diseases in her family, the dosage of the vitamin must be increased to 4 mg per day. Developmental defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate can also be a consequence of vitamin B9 deficiency in pregnant women.
Is it possible to have too much folic acid?
If the dose taken significantly exceeds the daily requirement for folic acid, the kidneys begin to excrete it unchanged. 5 mg of folic acid taken orally is excreted from the body after 5 hours.
How much folic acid to take during pregnancy? Norm of folic acid when planning pregnancy
The limitation of the prophylactic dose of folic acid to 400 mcg outside pregnancy and 800 mcg before and during pregnancy is due to the fact that in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency (this is a completely different vitamin!), excess folic acid can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system, since the use of folic acid in large doses (5 mg/day) prevents the diagnosis of pernicious anemia (i.e. vitamin B12 deficiency) due to the fact that folic acid can reduce the neurological manifestations of this condition. Thus, folic acid is not the cause of pernicious anemia, but interferes with timely diagnosis.
What dose of folic acid should I take before and during pregnancy?
Not less than 0.8 mg - this dose is not questioned in any country in the world. Moreover, modern studies indicate an enhanced preventive effect of congenital malformations when taking large doses of folic acid - 3-4 mg per day. This is the dose of folic acid that should be taken by pregnant women who do not have the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, that is, by those who also take “pregnant” multivitamins. So, look at how much folic acid is in your multivitamins and increase the dose to 3-4 mg, evenly distributing the intake of folic acid along with meals throughout the day.
How much is it in tablets?
Folic acid is usually sold in a dosage of 1 mg = 1000 mcg. That is, the minimum dose is 800 mcg - slightly less than one tablet. But, given that many doctors recommend taking 3-4 mg when planning, it’s definitely not worth breaking off a small piece :)
Should men take folic acid?
Since folic acid plays a huge role in cell development, folic acid deficiency in men can reduce the number of healthy sperm. Therefore, several months before conception (at least three), a man should start taking folic acid in a dose no less than prophylactic - 0.4 mg.
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Content
Vitamin B9 is a biologically inactive substance, so it is obtained artificially for medical purposes. Rich in folic acid fresh vegetables, especially spinach, meat and liver, but in some situations this is not enough for normal life. It is taken by ingesting tablets or the contents of ampoules.
How to take folic acid
Once in the human body, folic acid is converted to a biologically active form, similar to enzymes. Thanks to this, amino acids are produced. It is also necessary to take the drug for:
- normal functioning of blood cells;
- DNA synthesis;
- anemia treatment;
- antimicrobial therapy;
- cancer prevention;
- proper fetal growth during pregnancy.
The question of how to take folic acid is of concern to many. The average intake of the vitamin is a month of 1.5-3 mg per day for an adult (the intake is divided into 3 parts) and up to 200 mcg for children, consumed once. You can take the drug in the form of tablets, powders or ampoules. The last form of release is used as injections and externally.
Indications for taking B9 are:
- pregnancy;
- treatment of leukopenia and anemia;
- treatment of tropical diarrhea, intestinal tuberculosis, chronic gastroenteritis;
- against hair loss;
- for skin beauty;
- for a weight loss effect.
Contraindications for use of the drug:
- long-term course of administration - to prevent a decrease in the concentration of vitamin B12;
- kidney disease;
- allergy;
- iron metabolism disorder;
- bronchial asthma.
From side effects note:
- bitterness in the mouth, nausea;
- bloating;
- itching, skin rash;
- asthma attacks.
Daily requirement of folic acid for women
To ensure the normal functioning of all body systems adult woman It's worth getting 400 mcg of folic acid every day, but this amount almost always comes from food. When planning a pregnancy, 600 mcg is required daily a couple of months before conception, but this amount can only be taken after consulting a doctor. For nursing mothers, the recommended dose of the drug is 500 mcg daily, and an overdose is unlikely.
Daily dose of folic acid for men
B9 is also good for men to drink. This raises the question of how to take folic acid. In the male body, folic acid affects the quality and quantity of sperm, so you need to drink it before conception to prevent the risk of decreased sperm quality. If the future father's body does not have enough vitamins, the child may develop schizophrenia, epilepsy and even Down syndrome. To prevent this before conception, a man must take the drug according to the instructions at a dosage of 400 mcg for 100 days.
Teenage boys need the drug to regulate normal spermatogenesis. If their body lacks B9, then growth retardation, memory deterioration, and loss of appetite are noticeable. You need to get folic acid from green vegetables, offal, fish, and dairy products. To prevent deficiency, it is recommended to take 1 mg per day for 2-5 days according to the instructions.
When doing bodybuilding, the need for vitamin increases, because its deficiency leads to overeating, lack of gain muscle mass due to the body's reduced ability to synthesize new cells. Athletes need the product for protein formation, muscle preservation and recovery after heavy loads. The recommended norm is 600 mcg, which can increase to 1000 mcg in some cases.
How to take folic acid correctly for children
Already inside the mother's womb, the child needs B9, which enters his body through the placenta. After birth and up to 3 years, the vitamin is needed for active growth and development of most organs and systems. Children under 12 months of age may not be given the drug if the mother is well-nourished and has a balanced diet. The vitamin requirement has the following dependence on age in mcg:
- up to six months – 25;
- up to one year – 35;
- up to 3 years – 50;
- up to 6 years – 75;
- up to 10 years – 100;
- up to 14 – 200;
- up to 18 – 200.
You need to take the product in tablets according to the instructions. One dosage contains 1 mg or 1000 mcg of vitamin, so to measure the daily dose, pediatricians advise dissolving the tablet in water and drawing the specified amount with a measuring syringe. Tablets can be omitted if the child eats the required amount of green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, eggs, cod liver or chicken, and beef.
How to use folic acid during pregnancy
An important period of pregnancy involves taking vitamin B9, because it takes part in the formation of the neural tube of the unborn child, ensures the normal functioning of the placenta and its health, and reduces the risk of miscarriage. If you do not receive the drug in the required dosage, your child may develop:
- hydrocephalus;
- delayed brain activity;
- delayed muscle development.
If pregnancy is planned, then you need to take the vitamin in advance, but if it is not planned, then you can take it as soon as the woman realized that she is pregnant. In the first trimester, the doctor prescribes 400 mcg twice a day for the pregnant woman; the vitamin should be taken at the same time, before meals, with water. In the second trimester, the pregnant woman’s dose is prescribed up to 600 mcg per day, and in the third – up to 800.
Any amount is prescribed by the doctor after a thorough examination. The rate of B9 intake for a pregnant woman may be increased for the following reasons:
- the active substance is quickly eliminated from the body;
- Ultrasound revealed a risk of developing fetal defects;
- genetic defects in parents;
- diseases of the stomach, intestines, Bladder;
- constant vomiting.
Vitamin B9 (folic acid) belongs to the group water-soluble vitamins. For your beneficial features it is given several “folk” names - “women’s vitamin”, “vitamin from leaves”. It was isolated from spinach leaves (leaf in Latin - “folicum”) by the English scientist N. Mitchell. It is partially synthesized by intestinal microflora, the main part of it enters the body with food.
All doctors and scientists recognize that vitamin B9 is the “foundation of the foundations” of the human body.
The effect of vitamin B9 (folic acid) on the body
The action of vitamin B9 is to regulate the development of new cells, chemical processes and enzyme activity. Folic acid is a participant in the synthesis of blood cells, in particular red blood cells, leukocytes and platelets, and the synthesis of amino acids and RNA. This is important for the formation of the fetus and the prevention of fetal development defects and premature birth. The required dosage of folic acid normalizes metabolism and the digestive process.
It is worth remembering that vitamin B9 has the most beneficial effect only in conjunction with vitamin B12; the absence of one of them sharply limits the properties and effects of the other.
With age, the functioning of the digestive tract begins to become difficult; the body is no longer able to fully block poisons and toxins that come from food and from environment, protein absorption becomes difficult. Vitamin B9 can eliminate these problems; its deficiency can aggravate the situation.
When exposed to folic acid, serotonin is released - the “happy hormone”. Its lack can lead to depression and stress, which today affects young people and working population. Therefore, folic acid was given another nickname - “vitamin Have a good mood».
In addition to the above, its sphere of influence includes immune processes, regeneration of the skin and internal tissues, and hair growth. So, to the attention of both women and men: a lack of folic acid necessarily leads to premature hair loss and baldness. Here the result of a bad attitude towards your body will be obvious!
What prevents folic acid from being absorbed?
It is not very easy to obtain folic acid; we lose some of it when digesting food, and we destroy some of it by taking alcohol, medications, and smoking. The ability to be absorbed is significantly reduced with impaired liver function.
As is already known, vitamin B9 can be produced independently in the intestines, but which of the residents of large cities today can boast of a healthy stomach? You will have to additionally consume fermented milk products, live yoghurts, complexes with bifidobacteria - they won’t hurt!
Heat treatment destroys the vitamin very quickly, so when cooking, try to cover the pan with a lid and not overcook it. In addition, folic acid degrades when exposed to sunlight at room temperature.
Cheese and meat contain a certain substance - methionine, which contributes to the consumption of folic acid in unnecessary directions. It is for this reason, as well as thanks to a plant-based diet, that vegetarians do not have problems with a lack of nutrients.
Alcohol is a terrible enemy of vitamin B6, but bifidobacteria, on the contrary, catalyze its own production. You just need to replace alcoholic cocktails with biokefir and your mood will improve, because the level of the “good mood vitamin” will increase. That's just hangover syndrome will not be. It's a shame, isn't it?
Vitamin B9 should be taken in a balanced complex with B12 and ascorbic acid, because Large doses of one can neutralize the effects of the others.
Folic acid can also be neutralized by many medicines: aspirin, nitrofuran drugs, antiepileptic drugs (large doses of B9 can have the same effect on them), anti-tuberculosis therapy.
Daily norm
The daily intake of vitamin B9 is purely individual and depends on the circumstances. The optimal dosage for an adult is within the range of 200 mcg - minimum and 500 mcg - maximum per day, but the main condition is regularity. The minimum dose guarantees healthy image life. However, with increasing mental and physical stress, stress or illness, care must be taken to increase the dosage. During pregnancy and during feeding of newborn children, as well as with age, the dosage should increase significantly, and its rate will be determined by consultation with a doctor.
By the way, not only a woman should take care of the health of her unborn child. During pregnancy planning, a man would absolutely benefit from taking additional vitamin B9.
For children, norms depend on age:
- 0-12 months – 50 mcg;
- 1-3 years – 70 mcg;
- 4-6 years – 100 mcg;
- 6-10 years – 150 mcg;
- From 11 years of age and older, you can give an adult dose of 200 mcg.
Sources of Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
Products containing the maximum amount of the beneficial substance indicated above are easy to determine - they are all dark green in color; nothing new has been discovered in this regard since time. It is worth consuming them every day to improve health, including mental health, as well as to increase stamina.
The list is quite extensive, so creating the “correct” menu will not be difficult. Let's start in order:
An interesting fact: village milk contains a lot of vitamin B9, but store-bought pasteurized and sterilized milk contains not a gram.
Lack of vitamin B9 (folic acid)
A lack of vitamin B9 can cause serious damage to all functions of the human body. First of all, it will affect cell growth, which in turn will cause the growth of cancer cells, mental retardation in children, and disrupt the functioning of the central nervous system and hematopoietic processes.
Signs of a lack of folic acid in the body: depressed restless state, feeling of fear, problems with memory, digestion, anemia, “red tongue” - stomatitis in the oral cavity, early gray hair, problems during pregnancy. Human activity decreases significantly. Aggression or irritability appears, which can later develop into mania and paranoia. It is necessary to recognize these symptoms, otherwise folic acid deficiency will lead to more serious complications, such as nervous disorders, early menopause or problems with puberty in girls, atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.
Folic acid prevents the occurrence skin diseases and problems with hair, and therefore you understand what its deficiency can lead to!
Vitamin B9 is quickly consumed by people leading an active lifestyle and beach lovers under the sun. They are recommended to take additional doses of folic acid in order to avoid a significant lack of it in the body.
Excess vitamin B9 (folic acid)
Hypervitaminosis is observed extremely rarely; it is unrealistic to obtain such an amount from foods, therefore it is only possible by taking pharmacological forms of folic acid for several months. This leads to overexcitability, sleep disturbances and intestinal disorders.
An excess of folic acid in pregnant women can manifest itself in the newborn as asthma.
Indications for use
Indications for the use of vitamin B9 include:
Contents in pharmaceutical preparations
Folic acid is produced as a separate drug, sometimes in a complex of all B vitamins. It can be an integral part of multivitamin preparations, which contain a balanced complex.
Synthetic forms of folic acid are almost 2 times more active than natural ones. 600 mcg in tablets is equivalent to 1000 mcg of the substance from food.
Over the past decades, the average age of future fathers and mothers who decided to have offspring for the first time has increased significantly.
“Mature” parents realize what it is an important event, like conceiving a baby, cannot be left to chance. Therefore, married couples often start with a visit to the doctor.
At the first appointment, along with a referral, the doctor will issue a list of medications that are recommended to be taken. Among them, “folic acid” will certainly be noted as a separate item.
The human body needs only 50 mcg of folic acid daily to maintain vital functions; this is a necessary but vital minimum.
A derivative of folic acid, tetrahydrofolate, is involved in the most important biochemical transformations at the cellular level.
Sufficient content of it in the body is required for:
- full course of metabolic processes;
- synthesis of blood and;
- reducing the risk of developing atherosclerosis, processes that cause cardiac arrest and cerebral vasospasm;
- uninterrupted operation digestive system, secretion of its enzymes;
- protection against poisoning, intoxication;
- maintaining immunity.
The negative consequences of vitamin B9 deficiency in the body can be felt almost immediately: loss of strength, depressed mood, increased irritability, lack of appetite - these are all symptoms of folate deficiency.
Fortunately, nature has made sure that this vital element is as accessible to humans as possible: in all forms leafy plants contains folacin (from the Latin folium - “leaf”).
Folic acid can be found in almost all plant foods in varying quantities. And there is a lot of it in animal products.
A certain amount of this microelement is synthesized by the normal intestinal microbiota and is located in the liver for the “rainiest day”.
Therefore, with a nutritious, varied diet, the human body is able to provide itself with the necessary micronutrients.
However, it happens that the need for folic acid increases sharply and for a long time: during illnesses, injuries, taking antibiotics, increased stress and physical activity, in children's and adolescence, during pregnancy, during lactation, etc., etc. And then an additional source of this microelement is required.
A lack of vitamin B9 in a woman’s body at the time of pregnancy, which the young mother may not be aware of, leads to irreparable deformities of the fetus, miscarriage, stillbirth or the birth of a non-viable child.
For the parent herself, satisfying the body's need for folic acid allows her to maintain her own health and preserve her beauty.
The need for folic acid supplementation for expectant fathers
We should not forget, however, that in the process of conceiving a child, two partners are involved, and therefore, father’s high-quality “material” is an important condition for creating healthy offspring.
Taking folic acid before pregnancy in this case is important as a factor that increases the number of motile, viable sperm with the correct set of chromosomes.
Evidence-based medicine claims that additional intake of vitamin B9 by a partner increases the likelihood of conception and the chances of bearing a fetus, and also reduces the risks of developing fetal pathologies associated with chromosomal abnormalities.
In addition, the absence of folate hypovitaminosis has a positive effect on the general condition of men's health. And it will be very useful for the young father of a small baby.
The optimal daily requirement for folic acid for expectant parents before conceiving a child is determined individually, depending on whether there is initial hypovitaminosis.
Initially, the doctor will prescribe the parents a standard dose of folacin, and if necessary, based on the data of a biochemical blood test, adjust it.
Even if both parents lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a balanced diet, you will still need to take pharmaceutical forms of folic acid when planning a pregnancy.
Since the intake of folacin from food is only sufficient for the current functioning of the body, at best. The fact is that preserving vitamin B9 during cooking and storage is problematic. But the freshest vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs directly from the garden are not always available to everyone.
Unless otherwise required by the health and lifestyle of the expectant mother, folic acid intake for women at the stage of pregnancy planning is required to prevent folate deficiency, 400 mcg daily.
After pregnancy, the daily need for the vitamin will increase.
In the pharmacy you can find drugs with different concentrations of folic acid per tablet - from 400 mcg to 5 mg.
It is preferable if vitamin B9 is supplied to a woman’s body, which are created taking into account the needs of the mother’s body during pregnancy and in a combination of macro- and microelements favorable for mutual absorption.
If the doctor has detected a deficiency of folic acid in the patient’s body or for other reasons that increase the woman’s daily need for vitamin B9 (epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, smoking, addiction to alcohol, working in hazardous industries, etc.), she is prescribed medication. doses of the drug up to 5 mg per day.
The treatment course usually lasts about a month. Also, folic acid is prescribed in a therapeutic dosage to women for whom there is a high probability of pregnancy with the development of defects of the neural tube of the embryo: for a hereditary reason or after having already experienced a pregnancy with a similar outcome.
For a man
If a man's spermogram is completely normal? then he is prescribed folic acid for prevention - 400 mcg daily.
If the analysis of the seminal fluid of the future father showed the presence of defective spermatozoa above the permissible norm (more than 4%), then, among other measures, the doctor will prescribe an increased intake of vitamin B9 - from 700 mcg to 1000 mcg per day, rarely up to 5 mg per day (depending on on the degree of hypovitaminosis according to a blood test).
Again, taking medications with folic acid for a man when a couple is planning a pregnancy is necessary if attempts to conceive a child have been unsuccessful for at least six months.
If the future parents are not diagnosed with infertility, then the father will receive general recommendations from the doctor on improving his health, as well as specific recommendations on taking folic acid.
Course duration
WHO recommendations suggest that a woman, if she is healthy, take a preventative dose of folic acid daily throughout the pregnancy planning stage and for another 12 weeks after conception.
It is advisable for both partners to start at least three months, and preferably six months before the transition to “active steps” to conceive a child.
If, during the initial examination, vitamin deficiency was detected in one of the partners, then conception should be postponed and folic acid intake should be continued until the level of folacin in the blood is compensated.
There is no need to be wary of the frightening consequences of an overdose of folic acid, which some sources report. This happens extremely rarely and when the dose prescribed by the doctor is exceeded for a long time. A deficiency of folic acid in the body is much more dangerous, especially at the stage of pregnancy planning.
