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An estimated 20% of the US population suffers from some form of folic acid deficiency. And as one of the most difficult water-soluble vitamins to absorb, quality plays an integral role when choosing this essential B vitamin. NOW’s Folic Acid 800 mcg is a state of the art blend that includes 25 mcg of Vitamin B-12 for synergistic effect and quick absorption. When used in combination with vitamin B-12, folic acid may help facilitate the production of cellular energy. As part of a well-balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, Folic Acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 may reduce the risk of vascular disease.
Whether you're already expecting or just planning to be, taking the right vitamins can help ensure a healthy baby, and one of the most important for you and your baby is folic acid. Up to 70 percent of all neural tube defects, which are birth defects of the brain and spine, could be prevented if every woman of childbearing age took folic acid daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While it is not entirely known why folic acid helps prevent birth defects, it has been shown to decrease the risk of spina bifida, the leading cause of childhood paralysis. It also decreases the risk of developing anencephaly, which is a fatal condition in which an infant is born with a severely underdeveloped brain and skull.
Folic acid may also help keep your baby from developing a heart defect, cleft lip, or cleft palate. One study found that women with folic acid deficiencies were 2 to 3 times more likely to have either a premature baby, or have a baby of low birth weight, compaired to those who got enough of the this vitamin. Pregnant women need folic acid to help support the rapid growth of the placenta and fetus, and it aids in baby's DNA production.
Folic Acid also protects the heart by pairing with Vitamins B6 and B12 to prevent high levels of homocysteine. Without folic acid, homocysteine levels can cause blood to clot more easily than normal and cause cardiovascular disease and heart attacks, and it has been shown to lower levels of this toxic amino.
The American Cancer Society has stated that low levels of folic acid in the blood have been linked with higher rates of colorectal cancer and some other types of cancer. They point to a large study from 1980 to 1994 that found that the women who took more than 400 mcg of folic acid per day were less likely to get colon cancer than those with those who took less than 200 mcg. Folic acid is also necessary to make and repair DNA when creating new cells. Many scientists believe that low levels of folic acid may lead to changes in chemicals that affect DNA that may alter how well cells can repair themselves or divide properly, a step toward the formation of cancer.
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