You must have seen doctors often prescribing medicines that contain folic acid, but did you ever imagine what does it must do? Folic acid is a form of Vitamin B that is water soluble, and you can get folic acid naturally from dark green vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, beans, lentils, peas, liver, broccoli, spinach, whole-wheat products, asparagus, etc.
It goes without saying that it has many benefits, some of which we’ll discuss are stated below:
1. Cures Anemia – Deficiency of folic acid causes anemia because it produces and maintains red blood cells in your body. Both iron and folic acid are important in the production of RBCs. Most commonly, pregnant women and those who are lactating are prone to anemia because it requires more red blood cells to develop in the body. So, doctors prescribe folic acid and iron tablets as a supplement.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Health – Homocysteine is known to have bad effects on your health especially creating heart problems. Folic acid metabolizes homocysteine into an amino acid known as methionine. In this way, it helps you to maintain a healthy heart and reduces the chances of heart attacks. Many studies have revealed that folic acid also reduces LDL cholesterol which is also one of the major contributors in getting a heart attack.
3. Reduces High Blood Pressure – Women are susceptible to have high blood pressure, and homocysteine plays the major role in this. Folic acid is proven to inhibit the action of homocysteine which decreases the risk of high blood pressure, especially in women and this has been published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
4. Improves Fertility in Men – If your semen production is not that good, you might have a deficiency of folic acid. Studies have confirmed that folic acid plays a vital role in spermatogenesis improving the production of sperm. So, if you want to become a father, the intake of folic acid is extremely important.
5. Beneficial during Pregnancy – Folic acid is widely known to be prescribed during pregnancy as it requires more production of blood cells and the normal development of the fetus. Deficiency of folic acid when pregnant can lead to a disease known as neural tube defect which affects the mother and the child. It causes pregnancy complications and even might lead to miscarriages.
6. Helps in Menstruation – During the menstruation period, some women lose a huge amount of blood. More the blood loss more you will feel fatigued due to the high loss of folic acid and iron. So, if you increase the intake of food rich in folic acid and iron, you can improve your condition or consult with your doctor if you require supplements.
7. Improves Digestion – In both men and women, folic acid works with Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 to improve the digestion of protein. The entire digestion process is improved and helps to cure colon-related problems and even colon cancer. So, if you are facing troubles with indigestion often, increase the intake of folic acid.
8. Reduces the Risk of Alzheimer’s disease – Folic acid also improves memory and researchers have found homocysteine linked to Alzheimer’s disease. As folic acid metabolizes homocysteine into methionine, it cuts the excess homocysteine amounts decreasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
9. Reduces Depression – If you have seen doctors prescribe supplements of folic acid along with antidepressant medicines, you might be thinking why it is so. This is because folic acid has a compound referred to as L-Methylfolate. It plays a major role in neurotransmitter synthesis (synthesis of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine) regulating your mood and reducing depression or anxiety.
10. Provide Neurological Support – You can already get an understanding that folic acids provide neurological support as it reduces depression and improves memory. In a study known as The Lancet evidence, it is proven that homocysteine damages hippocampus which is primarily associated with memory. Folic acid not only protects it but also cures dementia (a gradual decrease in memory and ability to think).
11. Treats Chronic Kidney Disease – The very term “kidney disease” causes a lot of concern because you already know what major troubles this can cause both regarding health and finance. Moreover, chronic diseases have no cure. It leads to cardiovascular problems and anemia. So, proper intake of folic acid is very much required to sustain the growth of new cells and prevent kidney diseases.
12. Improves Gum Health – If you have visited your dentist with any problems with your gums, folic acid is sure to be there in the prescription. This is because folic acid maintains the gum tissues and prevents bleeding gums that are the early signs of any gum disease. Also, folic acid fights against the bacterial infections and inflammation of gums.
13. Improves Skin – If your skin is starting to wrinkle, the first signs of aging, start increasing the intake of folic acid. This will naturally make your skin firm and bring a moisturizing effect causing your skin to glow. Toxins in your body stimulate the production of bacteria which causes acne and folic acid blends with the antioxidants removing these toxins. So, it reduces the chances of acne.
14. Strengthens your Bone – If you are a bodybuilder or an athlete, you will be glad to know that folic acid helps in strengthening your bones and muscles. As it increases the production of red blood cells, it transforms into the body mass which are the building blocks of bone density as well.
15. Prevents Diabetes – If you are diabetic, this will be good news for you. Folic acid helps to cure diabetes in several ways, especially the type-2 diabetes. Folic acid accelerates the hydrolysis of fats in the adipose tissues which cures type-2 diabetes and also obesity. It also promotes vasodilatation (dilating of blood vessels) which helps in preventing endothelial dysfunction as most of the type-2 diabetes patients suffer from this state. Homocysteine complicates the suffering of type-2 diabetic patients and folic acid is proven to decrease the homocysteine levels.
16. Prevents Cancer – Folic acid can prevent cancer types like lung cancer, colon cancer, and cervical cancer. Some research experiments have shown that the dosage of folic acid and the timing is very important to make it get effective results.
Folic Acid supplements
You can get a lot of Folic acid though foods but a lot of people don’t get enough because of the low amount in “modern” processed food. A easy and good way to get around that is to take Folic Acid supplements. The supplements are cheap and can be found on Amazon and other websites. I recomment Bronson Organic Folic Acid 800 MCG you can buy it here.