This is especially true for people at risk of a deficiency, including older adults. Increasing folate through natural sources like foods is generally safe. Thus, a folate deficiency may elevate blood homocysteine levels, potentially causing a condition known as hyperhomocysteinemia. Here are 15 healthy foods that are high…, Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 that's often added to processed foods and used in supplements. Folic Acid is used for the treatment of folic acid deficiency. Folate plays a critical role in cell growth during the embryonic phase of fetal development [17]. Your body uses folate for many important functions, including (1, 2): While the benefits of folic acid for women and pregnancy are well known, you may wonder whether folic acid offers any advantages for men. Deficiency in vitamins like folic acid leads to diabetes and heart disease. Taking folic acid when planning a pregnancy will help your baby’s healthy growth and development. You can increase your folic acid levels by taking folic acid tablets daily to replenish your vitamin B9 levels. When taking folic acid supplements, it is important to know how to manage the timing of the supplement. Take all of your medications as directed. © 2005-2021 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Top 10 Benefits Of Folic Acid Supplements On Health Are Revealed 1. Take all of your medications as directed. Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to folic acid: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Usual Adult Dose for Folic Acid Deficiency: 400 to 800 mcg orally, intramuscularly, subcutaneously or IV once a day. Some research suggests that supplementing with folic acid and zinc may improve sperm quality and motility in subfertile men. The usual therapeutic dosage of folic acid in adults and children (regard less of age) is up to 1 mg daily. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Related Story Anaemia due to folic acid deficiency. Benefits and uses Prevention of birth defects and pregnancy complications. Last updated on Dec 25, 2020. > 10 years: 0.5 orally, intramuscularly, subcutaneously or IV once a day. Less serious side effects are more likely, but may include: bitter or unpleasant taste in your mouth; This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Another review that included 6 studies and 966 people found that taking folic acid supplements alongside antidepressant medication could reduce symptoms of depression significantly more than taking an antidepressant medication alone (5). But for women who can get pregnant, it is really important! Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Talk to your doctor about taking folic acid during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Last medically reviewed on January 4, 2021, Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin that has many important functions in your body. Nevertheless, toxicity is rare. Folic acid helps in maintaining red blood cells and nervous system. Take folic acid exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Folic acid is the man-made version of the vitamin folate (also known as vitamin B9). Dosage for Folic Acid. One risk factor for heart disease and stroke is high blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that’s a byproduct of protein digestion (7). As such, if you take any of these medications, consult your healthcare provider before taking folic acid supplements, regardless of their strength. Other. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Folic Acid? Folic acid benefits the skin in numerous ways. Folic acid may also improve blood flow, thereby promoting heart health (8, 10). To prove the folic acid uses and benefits in diabetes, Seto and his co-workers conducted a new study in diabetic mice. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate (vitamin B9). For example, one study in 52 men and women with prematurely gray hair found that they had significantly lower blood levels of folate, vitamin B12, and biotin (B7) than people without these hair changes (11). Though biotin supplements are not new, there is a growing interest among men to take them to promote hair growth or stop hair loss. 2. Benefits of the combined action of Vitamin B12, B6, and Folic Acid. In an older study from 2002 in 108 fertile and 103 subfertile men, taking 5 mg of folic acid and 66 mg of zinc daily for 6 months increased sperm count by 74% in the subfertile group (12). In addition to high cholesterol levels, an equally important risk indicator of heart disease is increased homocysteine , an abnormal protein byproduct. Folic acid is a type of B vitamin that is normally found in foods such as dried beans, peas, lentils, oranges, whole-wheat products, liver, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach. However, only synthetic forms of folate like folic acid have a UL, as there have been no reported adverse effects from a high intake of folate-rich foods (18). Although the exact amounts can vary quite a bit, most contain between 25–50 percent of the daily recommended value. They found that sperm count increased in 74% of the men. Ans: Folic acid 5 mg constitutes of folic acid as active ingredient. This article explains the benefits of taking folic acid for pregnancy, when to take it, and how much to take. However, among men with fertility issues, some research suggests these supplements may improve fertility. Maintenance of the optimal levels of B vitamins to aid cardiovascular health. Mental health disorders are common and affect around 16% of men in the United States (3). It helps make DNA and produce red blood cells. Talk to your doctor about taking folic acid during pregnancy. A course of folic acid supplements corrects the deficiency and allows red blood cell production to increase. Brand Names: FA-8, Folacin-800. Benefits of folic acid for women are wide-ranging and mainly relate to disease prevention. Although folic acid and folate are used interchangeably, their metabolic effects are quite different. Treatment of folate deficiency. Your dose needs may also be different if you are breast-feeding a baby. Take folic acid with a full glass of water. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 6 Jan 2021), Cerner Multum™ (updated 4 Jan 2021), ASHP (updated 6 Jan 2021) and others. Frequency not reported: Decreased diphenylhydantoin serum levels Here are 4 side effects of…, Men and women have different nutritional needs, so gender should play a role when selecting a multivitamin supplement. Overdose symptoms may include numbness or tingling, mouth or tongue pain, weakness, tired feeling confusion, or trouble concentrating. Folic acid is prescribed to the patients having memory loss, osteoporosis and macular degeneration. Folic acid will be very essential to keep the health of your heart. Aside from the folic acid benefits attained by consuming folate through either food sources or a multi-vitamin, topically applied folate may aid in reducing the signs of premature aging, according to some research studies. While the benefits of folic acid for women and pregnancy are well known, you may wonder whether folic acid offers any advantages for men. One reason why folic acid is purported to promote hair health is that it plays a role in healthy cell growth, which also applies to the cells found in your hair. However it will not treat Vitamin B12 deficiency and will not prevent possible damage to the spinal cord. 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