Do you have the Symptoms of Folic Acid Deficiency?
The debate around the basic of taking dietary supplements is
continuing to rage.
While many health care professionals maintain we get all we
require from the foods we eat, others prefer to suggest vitamins
when their patients are under a stress such as a pregnancy or
illness or even aging or when the patients body's function is
deficient or overloaded. Others maintain that vitamins are
preventative and should be taken routinely to prevent diseases
and maintain health.
Studies maintain that taking extra B vitamins, specifically
folic acid and B12 have reduced birth defects by 72 to 100% .
And since regulations authourising the addition of folic acid to
grains have come into force in the USA the incidence of birth
defects their have dropped by 19%, although sceptics claim there
could be alternative reasons.
So what are some of the symptoms of folic acid deficiency? If
your tongue is sore and you suffer from loss of appetite,
"shortness of puff", are irritable, forgetful and mentally
sluggish, you may have a folic acid insufficiency. Folic acid is
one of the B group of vitamins and most animal and plant foods
are poor sources of it. The exception is liver which most
individuals don't eat a lot of these days. Various dietary
habits and health conditions can also result in causing a
deficiency of this vitamin. Celiac condition, alcoholism and
irritable bowel syndrome are three such conditions.
Studies have also suggested that when older people suffer from
"the blues" it is caused by a absence of folate (B9) . It should
be taken alongside B6 and B12 to support its absorption and
function in the body. These three vitamins work closely together
and help relieve symptoms of depression. They do this by
decreasing the total amount of homocysteine, which is thought to
play an major part in causing the depression. Occasionally the
amount of folate in proportion to the other two may be required
to be increased in order to be effective. Solgar Homocystein
Modulators are a good supplement to take and can be found online
at www .solgar .co.uk .
Some population-based studies across the USA have also
established that numerous cancers are less usual in people who
have high levels of folic acid. These people also consumed high
amounts of beta-carotene, vitamin C and fiber. One large study
of 50,000 women established that adequate intakes of folate
essentially reduced the risk of breast melanoma.
Some prescription medications for inflammatory bowel illness
have been found to interfere with the bodies ability to absorb
folate (folic acid) and the deficiency has also been linked to
some men's infertility and heart complaints.
Foods that offer the most folic acid are dark leafy greens,
brewers yeast, cows liver, some seafood, orange juice and dairy.
Root vegetables and whole grains also supply small amounts.
Side effects from folic acid supplements are rare, though they
can occur if the dose exceeds 15000 mcg . Taking any one of the
B group of vitamins on their own can produce a deficiency in the
others, so don't be too keen to buy without advice. Check out if
you really do need it and make sure your health care practised
knows your purpose in order to grasp why you want to take these
supplements. Some prescription medicines such as antibiotics and
warfarin can react adversely to this health programme, while
others like ibuprofen and aspirin can actually cause a
deficiency. Methotrexate, prescribed to treat some cancer and
rheumatoid arthritis conditions increases the body's need for
folic acid, and its side-effects are greatly reduced by addition
of this vitamin without impairing its results, so if you must
take this medication be sure see your health care professional
about adding folic acid to your diet - it could save you
experiencing further side-effects .