Folic acid is another name for vitamin B9. The substance belongs to the category of “beauty vitamins”, so dietary supplements with it are often taken to preserve youth and improve the quality of skin, hair and nails. Folic acid is involved in metabolism and controls many important processes in the body: cell division and renewal, blood circulation, nervous system function, etc. Folates are also taken when planning pregnancy; without folic acid, the normal development of a child is impossible.
But how to determine the correct dosage and which dietary supplements to take? Let's figure out how many micrograms are in 1 mg of folic acid, and how the concentration is calculated.
Dosage
For preventive purposes, it is enough for an adult to take 400 mcg of folic acid daily. The same dose is required for adolescents during the period of active growth in order to prevent the development of anemia and retardation in physical development.
The need for folic acid in women planning pregnancy increases sharply. Six months before the expected conception, they should start taking 1 mg of the substance daily. This will contribute to the proper formation of the baby’s nervous system and help avoid the development of congenital defects.
What can vitamin B9 deficiency lead to?
In most cases, folic acid deficiency is experienced by the following categories of citizens:
- pregnant women;
- newborns;
- children from 1 year to 3 years.
Hypovitaminosis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- constant fatigue and irritability;
- anxiety;
- deterioration of sleep and appetite;
- the occurrence of anemia, heaviness in the abdomen, stomatitis, pain in the legs;
- deterioration of memory, skin and hair condition.
A lack of this substance during pregnancy can lead to various pathologies of the fetal neural tube, including those incompatible with the life of the baby. Folic acid deficiency provokes miscarriages and also affects the condition of the placenta.
Interaction with other tools
Despite the fact that folic acid is a vitamin, before you start taking it, you should consider its compatibility with other drugs used by the patient. For example, a number of medications reduce the rate of absorption of folic acid in the intestine:
- Antacids.
- Some antibacterial agents: tetracyclines, sulfonamides, etc.
Some diuretics, for example, Triamterene, can also reduce the severity of the effect of folic acid, which should be taken into account when using them together.
Folic acid and vitamin E
These two vitamins complement each other when used together. Gynecologists often recommend taking them together to everyone who is planning the birth of a child. If folic acid is responsible for the prevention of congenital anomalies of the fetus, then vitamin E increases fertility and reduces the threat of miscarriage in the short term.
In addition, when used together, these vitamins help strengthen the expectant mother’s immunity and increase her performance. Vitamin E and folic acid are already included in the required dosages in special vitamin complexes for pregnant women.
Folic acid. Instructions for use.
Doctors at our clinic consider pregnancy, including that resulting from an IVF program, as a normal physiological condition. We do not recommend taking dietary supplements and multivitamins during pregnancy planning if the woman is eating adequately. Gynecologists and reproductive specialists have a special attitude towards folic acid. Let's look at the most common questions that patients ask during their appointments. What is folic acid and what is it eaten with?
The name comes from the Latin word "folium" - leaf. Folic acid is part of the B group of vitamins. Vitamin B9 includes a group of compounds - folic acid, folacin, folates. This is a water-soluble vitamin, so overdose is almost impossible.
Easily destroyed by cooking and exposure to light. So, when cooking vegetables and meat, the loss of folic acid reaches 70-90%, and when frying meat - 95%, when boiling eggs - 50%. Folic acid is found in fresh vegetables (beans, spinach, tomatoes), as well as in the liver and kidneys of animals. In the human body it is formed by intestinal microflora. Additional intake of bifidobacteria helps to increase the synthesis of folic acid in the large intestine. Alcohol abuse and smoking reduce the synthesis and absorption of folic acid.
How does folic acid work?
Once in the human body, folic acid enters the liver, and in the presence of ascorbic acid, under the action of the enzyme reductase, it is converted into its active form - tetrahydrofolate.
Why do we need folic acid?
The body needs folic acid at any period of a person’s life, as it is necessary for the normal formation of blood cells and is involved in the synthesis of amino acids and nucleic acids (the basis for the formation of cells of all tissues). In the process of planning pregnancy, folic acid is necessary not only for women, but also for men. The main indicator of men's health is the condition of sperm, and their synthesis simply requires nucleic acids and protein. With a decrease in folate concentration, sperm synthesis is disrupted, their concentration and the percentage of morphologically normal forms decrease. The importance of vitamin B9 during pregnancy is difficult to overestimate, because in the first 12 weeks it is responsible for the correct formation of the neural tube of the fetus, which begins approximately 14-20 days from the moment of conception. The nervous tissue of the fetus consists of cells that are very actively dividing. And for normal, proper division, folic acid is necessary.
Taking folic acid daily when planning pregnancy and up to 12 weeks reduces the risk of developing neural tube defects by 72%!
How much, when and how to take folic acid?
In Europe, it is recommended that all women and men of childbearing age take folic acid, taking into account the possibility of unplanned pregnancy. According to Russian recommendations, you need to start taking folic acid three months before your planned pregnancy.
For most women and men, the recommended daily dose is 400 mcg, regardless of the fact of food intake. The only thing is that strong tea accelerates the removal of folic acid from the body.
Folic acid intake should be continued during pregnancy up to 12 weeks at a dose of 400 mcg/day.
When should you increase the daily dose of the drug?
An increase in the daily dose to 5 mg is justified only in the case of taking anticonvulsants, antacids (drugs that reduce the acidity of gastric juice), and sulfonamides. These drugs reduce the absorption of folic acid. The dose also increases if you have diabetes or celiac disease (impaired digestion and absorption).
If you have had a termination of pregnancy for medical reasons due to pathologies of fetal development or you have an established diagnosis of miscarriage, then increasing the dose will be quite justified.
What happens if there is a lack of folic acid?
Even short-term folic acid deficiency can lead to serious long-term consequences. The most common pathologies are hydrocephalus (fluid accumulation in the brain), anencephaly (complete or partial absence of the cerebral hemispheres, cranial vault bones and soft tissues), spina bifida, cerebral hernia, delayed physical and mental development, and premature birth.
Is excess folic acid dangerous?
Yes, it's dangerous.
Long-term use of folic acid in large doses may mask the symptoms of B12 deficiency anemia.
Folic acid salts can accumulate in the body, causing vomiting, stomach upset, nervousness and insomnia.
Excessive doses of folic acid increase the likelihood of autism in a child by 2.5 times. Malignant cells belong to the group of rapidly dividing cells and also require folic acid. In conditions of excess folic acid, antitumor immunity decreases.
By following simple recommendations for taking folic acid, you influence the health of your unborn child!
Is it possible to take the drug without a prescription?
Folic acid and vitamin complexes containing it are sold in pharmacies without a prescription. The amount of the drug needed by a specific person for a lack of folic acid is calculated individually based on several indicators: gender, age, general condition of the body. Therefore, in order to choose a therapeutic dosage, you should consult a doctor.
In addition, the drug has some contraindications: hypersensitivity to folic acid, cancer, vitamin B12 deficiency. If a person has such conditions, the use of folates should be completely abandoned.
How to plan a pregnancy
The disease is difficult to cure, but easy to prevent. Doctors have long realized that it is much easier for them to engage in prevention - it brings much more tangible results, and it is much easier. Treatment always lags behind prevention. Prevention of diseases that do not yet exist is very simple, and if you take it seriously, they can really be avoided. Treatment of existing complications is always late and lags behind the mechanism of their development. Treatment is always a step of desperation, always consent to side effects in order to cure the underlying condition, always an advanced stage. The strategy of modern medicine is prevention, the strategy of modern obstetrics is planned, prepared pregnancy.
It has long been proven that most complications that develop during pregnancy can be prevented by proper preparation, namely by replenishing vitamin deficiencies, examination, diagnosis of possible diseases, conditions, predispositions, and their correction. There are conditions whose harmful effects can be completely eliminated if identified in advance: for example, lack of immunity to rubella. One vaccination, 3 months of contraception - and such a problem no longer exists, otherwise - 9 months of stress, constant testing and in the event, God forbid, infection - a 50% chance of developing fetal defects and a clear recommendation to terminate the pregnancy.
There are conditions that cannot be completely eliminated, but diagnosing them before pregnancy allows the attending physician to predict possible expected complications, be prepared for them and prescribe their correction in time - literally from the first days of the delay, before contacting the doctor, the woman begins taking medications that allow her to maintain pregnancy in the early stages.
A visit to the gynecologist can bring unpleasant surprises - for example, in the form of a mild inflammatory process that can become more active during pregnancy. Treatment will take time. Therefore, you need to start preparing for pregnancy at least three months before the expected conception.
. Better yet, six months.
Use in children
Infants usually do not need additional vitamins, since the baby receives all the necessary substances through breast milk. But in some cases, for example, pediatricians may prescribe folic acid for premature babies. The daily dose for infants is only 25 mcg.
Schoolchildren need folic acid in order to cope with increased intellectual and emotional stress. During adolescence, additional intake of the vitamin helps to establish hormonal balance, and also helps to cope with skin problems that often accompany the period of growing up. The optimal dose of folic acid for children under 10 years of age is 100 mcg per day, for adolescents – 200 mcg.
How to prepare for pregnancy
• Quit smoking 2-3 months before conception - together with your husband. • Refuse to consume alcohol in any form 2-3 months before conception - together with your husband. • Reduce the amount of coffee and strong tea you consume (any caffeine-containing drinks). • In a cycle in which conception is possible, do not visit the bathhouse, sauna, do not take a hot bath, do not allow overheating and hypothermia. • During the conception cycle, it is not advisable to fly on airplanes or vacation in distant countries where the climate is strikingly different from what is usual. • Do not practice any diets aimed at losing weight. • Do not engage in active sports, fitness, do not exercise your muscles and especially your abdominal muscles. • Do not take any medications without consulting a doctor and carefully reading the instructions for the drug. • Try not to get sick, and if you get sick, treat yourself with folk remedies. If antibiotics were used during treatment, a woman needs to postpone conception for a month, and a man – for 2-3. • Take multivitamins, and especially folic acid (prevention of fetal malformations). You can continue taking vitamins during pregnancy. To prepare for pregnancy, folic acid before pregnancy should be taken with your spouse for 2-3 months before the expected conception, and then in the first 3 months of pregnancy. • If you are taking oral contraceptives, remember that in the first three months after stopping them, you have an increased likelihood of multiple pregnancies (the so-called rebound effect - withdrawal effect). Think about it - do you need it? • Your work should not be associated with occupational hazards - radiation, chemicals, mercury, vibration, etc. Modern computers do not harm pregnancy. If there are hazards in your work, decide on the issues of moving to another area or changing jobs. • Your diet should be varied, balanced and easily digestible. • If you need to take any medications on a regular basis, discuss with your doctor which medications you will take during a future pregnancy, taking into account the possible effect on the fetus. • Visit the dentist and get your teeth in order. • Well, in the end, it’s worth saying that in the vast majority of cases, pregnancy occurs on its own and proceeds exactly as it does. All our tricks can only slightly reduce risks, but never eliminate them completely. So - GOOD LUCK!
Advertising
