Why you need Folic Acid ( before )and during pregnancy

Importance Of Folic Acid During Pregnancy 

El ácido fólico es una vitamina B. Tomar 400 microgramos (mcg) de ácido fólico todos los días por lo menos un mes antes de quedar embarazada puede ayudar a prevenir graves defectos de nacimiento del cerebro y la columna vertebral. Tome una multivitamina con 400 mcg de ácido fólico todos los días. ¡Mejore su consumo de vitaminas al disfrutar este saludable batido!

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Getting 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day at least a month before becoming pregnant can help prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine. Take a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid every day. Give your vitamin intake a boost by enjoying this healthy smoothie!

Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate occurs naturally in food, and folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin. Since 1998, folic acid has been added to cold cereals, flour, breads, pasta, bakery items, cookies, and crackers, as required by federal law. Foods that are naturally high in folate include leafy vegetables (such as spinach, broccoli, and lettuce), okra, asparagus, fruits (such as bananas, melons, and lemons) beans, yeast, mushrooms, meat (such as beef liver and kidney), orange juice, and tomato juice.

Folic acid is used for preventing and treating low blood levels of folate (folate deficiency), as well as its complications, including “tired blood” (anemia) and the inability of the bowel to absorb nutrients properly. Folic acid is also used for other conditions commonly associated with folate deficiency, including ulcerative colitis, liver disease, alcoholism, and kidney dialysis.

Women who are pregnant or might become pregnant take folic acid to prevent miscarriage and “neural tube defects,” birth defects such as spina bifida that occur when the fetus’s spine and back do not close during development.

Some people use folic acid to prevent colon cancer or cervical cancer. It is also used to prevent heart disease and stroke, as well as to reduce blood levels of a chemical called homocysteine. High homocysteine levels might be a risk for heart disease.

Folic acid is used for memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, age-related hearing loss, preventing the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), reducing signs of aging, weak bones (osteoporosis), jumpy legs (restless leg syndrome), sleep problems, depression, nerve pain, muscle pain, AIDS, a skin disease called vitiligo, and an inherited disease called Fragile-X syndrome. It is also used for reducing harmful side effects of treatment with the medications lometrexol and methotrexate.

Some people apply folic acid directly to the gum for treating gum infections.

Folic acid is often used in combination with other B vitamins.

How does it work?

Folic acid is needed for the proper development of the human body. It is involved in producing the genetic material called DNA and in numerous other bodily functions . 

SOURCES : CDC, WebMD etc