HOLISTIC HEALTH Nutrients A to Z: Vitamin B9 (Folate or Folic Acid) by Janice Buckler
Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9, it is water-soluble and naturally found in many foods. However, can also be added to foods and sold as a supplement in the form of folic acid; this form is actually better absorbed than that from food sources. There is a wide variety of foods that naturally contain folate however, in January 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required foodman- ufacturers to add folic acid to foods commonly eaten, including breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and other grain products, to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. This program has helped to increase the average folic acid intake by about 100 mcg/ day. Vitamin B9 is essential for human growth and development, encourages normal nerve and brain function, and may help reduce blood-lev- els of homocysteine (an amino acid implicated in increased risk of heart disease and stroke). Folic acid or folate may also help protect against cancers of the lung, colon, and cervix, and may help slow memory decline associated with aging. Pregnant women have an increased need for folic acid because it supports the growth of the placenta and fetus, and helps to prevent several types of birth defects, especially those of the brain and spine.
Food sources of natural B9 or folate include dark green leafy vegetables (such as turnip greens, spinach, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and good old broccoli), carrots, torula yeast, cantaloupe, apricots, pumpkin, avocado, beans, whole wheat, dark rye flour, milk products, organ meats (such as liver), oysters, salmon, tuna, brewer’s yeast and dates. Folate helps to form DNA and RNA and is involved in protein metabolism. This vitamin plays a key role in breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that can exert harmful effects in the body if it is present in high amounts. Folate is also needed to produce healthy red blood cells and is critical during periods of rapid growth, such as during pregnancy and fetal development. A folate deficiency is very rare given that it is found in a wide range of foods. However, the following conditions may put people at increased risk: Alcoholism - As alcohol interferes with the absorp- tion of folate and speeds the rate that folate breaks down and is excreted from the body. Pregnancy - The body’s need for folate increas- es during pregnancy as it plays a key role in the development of cells in the fetus.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2020
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