Folic Acid: uses, benefits, side effects, and more

How Folic Acid Works in the Body

Once folic acid is consumed, it is transformed by the body into folate, which is the natural biochemical form of folic acid that can be properly absorbed.

Folate enters the cells through endocytosis, which is a process in which the cell engulfs substances outside its membrane. After that, the nutrient can be seen present in the plasma (largest part of the blood) after approximately 15 minutes of oral consumption.

This action aids in the production of the body’s genetic material DNA (deoxynucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Moreover, it allows making new healthy red blood cells which carry oxygen to the whole body.

Folic Acid Dose: How much to Take

Folic acid is mostly available in capsules or tablets. However, it can also be present in liquid form. It can be administered either intravenously through the vein, or through the muscle or skin based on what the doctor suggests.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) recommends that men and women older than 19 years old should take an oral dose of at least 400mcg on a daily basis. Women who are pregnant or lactating should take 600mcg and 500mcg, respectively.

People who drink alcohol should take a higher dose of at least 600mcg of folic acid because alcohol impairs the absorption of the nutrient. The tolerable upper intake level (UL), which is the maximum daily dose of folic acid, is set at 1,000mcg per day.

In addition, the injectable dose of liquid folic acid is set at 5mg/ml daily. However, dosages should be consulted by the doctor in order to revise each person’s personal case according to age and medical condition, if any.

Food Sources of Vitamin B9

Vitamin B9 can be found naturally in diverse types of food such as:

• leafy green vegetables
• dried beans
• nuts
• citrus fruits
• grain products
• avocado
• eggs
• beef liver

Researchers and scientists find it best to embed folic acid also into daily foods to increase people’s intake. It is usually fortified into diverse foods like:

• breakfast cereals
• rice
• pasta
• flour
• breads

This allows people to reach the sufficient amount of folic acid needed per day.

Folic Acid Benefits

Folic acid is an important dietary supplement that benefits our body systems including our cardiac system (heart), neural system (brain and spinal cord), and circulatory system (blood).

Below is a list of the different folic acid benefits for each of the following conditions.

• Neural tube defects: it is very crucial for pregnant women to include folic acid in their diet before, and in the early stages of pregnancy, as it assists in the proper development of the baby. The nutrient optimizes neural growth during the formation of the nervous system. As a result, it minimizes the occurrence of neural tube defects.
• Heart disease: high levels of amino acids and homocysteine has been linked to an increase in the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Vitamin B9 plays a role in breaking down homocysteine, thus lowering its levels and decreasing the risk of heart disease.
• Brain health: folic acid intake lowers the risk of poor mental function, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. This is because folic acid improves the brain functions and reduces blood levels of protein biomarkers that are involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Mental Health: folic acid intake may be linked to decreasing mental health issues such as postpartum depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
• Diabetes: folic acid may aid in blood sugar regulation and could reduce insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.
• Inflammation: folate is known to reduce inflammation markers like C-reactive protein which helps in fighting chronic inflammation.
• Women’s Fertility: vitamin B9 improves egg quality as well as egg growth for women in reproductive age. This boosts the chances of women to get pregnant and reduces pre-term birth.
• Kidney Disease: when the kidneys don’t work properly, homocysteine builds up which causes kidney disease. Folic acid lowers the levels of homocysteine in the blood and thus lowers the chances of kidney disease occurrence.
• Cancer: folic acid aids in the formation and repair of healthy cells, hence it can block certain types of cancer in its early stages. The relationship between cancer and folate is still not very clear yet since each cancer acts differently in the body. Studies are yet to be done for conclusive evidence.

Folic Acid Precautions

If you are taking folic acid, you need to avoid drinking alcohol as it could interfere with the absorption of folic acid in the body. Alcohol increases the rate of breakdown of the vitamin allowing it to be discharged faster from the body.

People with certain medical conditions:

People with the following conditions should be careful and always check before taking folic acid:

• Allergies: People who have allergies can possibly have a reaction to folic acid which might lead to skin rash, itching, difficulty breathing, and redness.
• Impaired Immune Function: intake of high doses of folic acid may reduce protective immune cells, thus suppressing one’s immune system
• Digestive disorders: people with digestive disorders such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, should pay attention when they consume folic acid because their conditions could interfere with the absorption of folic acid and decrease it.
• Genetic variants: people who acquire the MTHFR gene can’t convert folic acid to folate, which is the active form used by the body.
• Intestinal surgeries: surgeries that reduce the normal level of stomach acid might decrease absorption of the vitamin.

Folic Acid Interaction with medications

Folic acid may interact with different medications and exacerbate certain conditions. Consult your doctor or healthcare provider before taking folic acid supplements if you take the following medication:

• Anticonvulsants medication: drugs such as cerebyx, phenytoin, and primidone- could decrease the concentration of vitamin B9 supplement in your blood.
• Barbiturates, methotrexate, and pyrimethamine medications: could decrease the effectiveness of folic acid

Folic Acid: side effects

If you take folic acid, some side effects can take place such as nausea, loss of appetite, irritability, and bad breath. 

Folic Acid health risks

If you take folic acid, some possible health risks can occur.

If you are pregnant, excessive doses of folic acid may remain unmetabolized in the blood. If this happens, there are concerns that the baby may develop mental health issues such as autism and spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there's no conclusive scientific evidence about this.

Furthermore, despite the fact that folic acid might reduce the development of cancerous cells, there are some suspicion that it might increase the risk of some cancer types such as prostate cancer.