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Folate is necessary for the life and survival of the human organism, thanks to their key role in the production of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and the metabolism of certain amino acids, both factors necessary for cell replication.
Since humans are unable to produce folate, it is essential to consume them in the diet, which makes them essential nutrients. It is naturally present in many foods. In Italy, the recommended folate intake for adult men is 200 mcg / day (μg / day), while in the US it is exactly double - it coincides with our recommendations in pregnancy.
Folic acid supplement is used to treat anemia caused by specific deficiency, as a prevention of neural tube defects in the unborn baby. Low folate levels in early pregnancy are believed to be the cause of more than 50% of cases of spina bifida. More than 80 countries use industrial fortification of certain foods with folic acid, either mandatory or optional, to reduce this risk. Long-term supplementation with relatively large amounts of folic acid is associated with a small reduction in the risk of stroke and an increased risk of prostate cancer. There is also concern that high amounts of folic acid may hide the vitamin B12 deficiency.
Not consuming enough folate (hypovitaminosis or avitaminosis) can lead to specific deficiency, with a particular anemia in which red blood cells become abnormally large (megaloblastic). Symptoms may include feeling tired, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, tongue sores, and changes in skin or hair color. Folate deficiency in children can develop as early as one month after dietary impairment. In adults, the total amount present in the body is between 10 and 30 mg, with blood levels> 7 nmol / L (3 ng / mL).
The discovery of this vitamin dates back to 1931-1943. It is included in the World Health Organization (WHO) list of essential medicines, the safest and most effective needed by the health system. The wholesale cost of supplements in developing countries is between $ 0.001 and $ 0.005 per serving (as of 2014). The term "folic" comes from the Latin folium (which means leaf) because it was initially identified in green leafy vegetables.
of methylene to a p-aminobenzoyl group which, in turn, is bound via an amide bond to glutamic acid or poly-glutamate.
Often (but improperly) used as a synonym for folate - which in organic chemistry refers to the conjugate base - "folic acid actually belongs to a group that can be defined as" folate "(general biochemical term) or group of vitamin B9: tetrahydrofolic acid (the active form), methyltetrahydrofolate (the primary form found in the blood), methenyltetrahydrofolate, folinic acid, folacin and pteroylglutamic acid.
Folic Acid - Video: Functions, Needs, Foods, Deficiency
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Together with vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), with which it shares numerous functions - among which the best known is the anti-anemic one - folic acid is one of the two most recently discovered vitamins.
Folic acid and its derivatives participate in the synthesis of some amino acids, such as methionine / homocysteine and glutamic acid, and is necessary for the production of hemoglobin.
Folic acid is very important for growth, reproduction and the proper functioning of the nervous system.
Folate contributes to spermatogenesis. In women, they are important for egg quality and maturation, implantation, placentation, fetal growth and development of fetal organs.
A meta-analysis reported that multiannual supplementation of folic acid in excess of 1,000 μg / day reduced the relative risk of cardiovascular disease by a modest 4%. Two previous meta-analyzes reported no changes in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
With supplementation, the absolute risk of stroke decreases from 4.4% to 3.8% - a 10% reduction in relative risk. Two other meta-analyzes reported a similar reduction. Two of these three were limited to people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease or coronary heart disease. The beneficial result may be associated with a reduction in the circulating concentration of homocysteine. The effect was greater for studies conducted in countries that do not provide for a mandatory fortification of folic acid in flour.
Chronic insufficient folate intake can increase the risk of colorectal, breast, ovarian, pancreatic, brain, lung, cervix and prostate cancers.
Some studies show that iron-folic acid supplementation in children under five can lead to increased mortality from malaria.
and vitamers are reduced in their simplest form. Subsequently, the latter is activated by the liver, which transforms it into folinic acid, distributes it to the various tissues or, possibly, deposits it as a reserve. of folic acid was evaluated for (healthy) adult men and women as 200 mcg (µg).
This quota is easily reached with a varied and balanced diet, which usually includes foods of plant origin - preferably fresh and raw. Furthermore, as with vitamin C, exposure to sunlight also depletes foods of their precious folate load.
For pregnant women, the levels recommended by experts go up to 400 mcg, while for nurses an intake of no less than 350 mcg / day is recommended.
The need for folate is also higher for athletes, for women who take oral contraceptives based on progesterone and estrogen (these hormones interfere with the absorption of folic acid) and in any condition that requires a more accentuated tissue renewal.
In recent years, folic acid has come to the fore also for its ability to counteract the negative effects of homocysteine, an amino acid which, when present in excess in the bloodstream, constitutes a cardiovascular risk factor.
For further information: Folic Acid Requirement, in legumes, in leafy vegetables - hence the "folic" attribute - and in some fruits.
Secondly, it is not lacking in foods of a different nature such as offal and more.
