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HEALTH DESIGN, INC. |
| Folic Acid -- Its Role in Health |
Volume 1, Issue 2
March 15, 2001 |
| Folic acid, a
B vitamin, was first isolated from spinach in 1964 and was found to be
important in preventing anemia in animals. Later, it was determined that
folic acid is essential for the synthesis of thymine and adenine which
are some of the nucleic acids that make up our genes, chromosomes, and
DNA.
It has only been a few years since it was determined that the presence of folic acid is imperative for the proper metabolism of the essential amino acid methionine, which is derived from animal proteins. Without folic acid, the normal conversion of |
methionine to
homocysteine and then back to methionine is not possible, and thus abnormal amounts of homocysteine build up in the blood stream. So, why are homocysteine
levels in the blood important?
Heart Disease Homocysteine is a potent, causative agent in the development of the arterial disease arteriosclerosis. It has been estimated that some 50,000 heart attacks could be avoided each year if people would simply supplement their diet with 1 mg of folic acid a day. |
Preventing
Birth Defects
Folic acid is also essential for the development of healthy babies. Each year in the United States, 2,500 babies are born with neural tube defects. The most common defect is spina bifida, a condition in which the spinal canal is open.The vertebrae don't close over the spinal chord in this crippling defect. Recent studies have shown that taking 400 micrograms per day of folic acid before becoming pregnant can prevent as much as 75% of all neural tube defects. |
Other studies
have shown that people with low folic acid levels are more likely to develop
colon cancer, cancer of the cervix in women , mental depression, and early
Alzheimer's Disease.
So, why take the risk of developing one of these potentially preventable, serious health problems by not taking adequate amounts of folic acid on a daily basis? Be accountable and responsible for yourself. -B.P. Loughridge |
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