1. definition of folic acid
academically, folic acid is a kind of water-soluble B vitamins, which is composed of pteridine, p-aminobenzoic acid and glutamic acid. It was extracted and purified from spinach leaves by H．K．Mitchell (1941), so it was named folic acid. As early as 1948, the important nutritional role of folic acid in human body has been confirmed. Folic acid can promote the maturation of young cells in bone marrow. If people (or other animals) lack folic acid, it can cause megaloblastic anemia and leukopenia, and also lead to weakness, irritability, loss of appetite and mental symptoms. In addition, some studies have found that folic acid plays a vital role in the growth and development of pregnant women and fetuses. If folic acid is lacking in the first three months of pregnancy, it can lead to neural tube development defects in fetuses, thus increasing the incidence of schizencephaly and anencephaly. However, if pregnant women can regularly supplement folic acid in moderation during pregnancy, it can prevent congenital malformations such as underweight newborns, premature delivery and cleft palate (rabbit lips). It should be noted that although folic acid plays a very important role in the human body, the human body itself cannot synthesize folic acid, and we need to take it from food. Natural folic acid widely exists in animal and plant foods, especially in yeast, liver and green leafy vegetables. However, because folic acid is unstable when exposed to light and heat, it is easy to lose its activity, so there is not much folic acid that the human body can really get from food. Most of the time, we need to rely on folic acid health care products to provide enough folic acid for the human body.
2. Benefits of folic acid
Folic acid deficiency can not only lead to fetal neural tube malformation, but also lead to eye, lip, palate, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, kidney, bone and other organs malformation, and increase the incidence of pre-eclampsia and placental abruption in pregnant women. In the Dietary Guide for China Residents, the Nutrition Society of China suggested that women of childbearing age should supplement 4 micrograms of folic acid every day from the third month before pregnancy at the latest and continue throughout pregnancy.
3. Time to eat folic acid
Because many women don't realize that they are pregnant until 5 weeks or later after successful pregnancy, but neural tubes are formed in the first 4 weeks. If folic acid is lacking, deformity may have begun. Studies have shown that folic acid deficiency in the body can be significantly improved after taking folic acid for 4 weeks. Therefore, it is best to supplement 4 micrograms of folic acid every day from the planned pregnancy (at the latest 3 months before pregnancy), at least 3 months after pregnancy, and if conditions permit, you can continue to take it until the end of pregnancy.
4. Folic acid intake
In the Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for China Residents (213 edition), China Nutrition Society recommended that the daily intake of folic acid for pregnant women be 6 micrograms, and the maximum tolerable intake (UL) was 1 micrograms, that is to say, the maximum intake should not exceed 1 mg.
5. What kind of folic acid to eat
Folic acid can be supplemented by natural foods, foods fortified with folic acid, folic acid supplements, etc. Common foods rich in folic acid include animal liver, beans (such as soybeans), yeast, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, lettuce, asparagus, rape, broccoli) and fruits (such as oranges and strawberries).
6. Folic acid supplements
When selecting folic acid supplements, we should pay attention to the manufacturer, folic acid content, suitable people, usage and dosage, adverse reactions and factors affecting absorption. Generally speaking, it is recommended to choose drugs with the quasi-brand name of national medicine (quality and safety are more guaranteed); Choose a single folic acid supplement during pregnancy and early pregnancy, and choose a multivitamin in the middle and late pregnancy; As for the brand, as long as it is a product produced by a regular manufacturer sold by a regular pharmacy, there is generally little difference in quality.