Ducut, Vanessa Mae T.

BSN 102

FOLIC ACID

Folic Acid is a form of synthetic form (simple) of water soluble b vitamin and natural
form (complex) that can be found in green leafy vegetables. The synthetic form of folic acid is a
lot better that the natural one because the substances that can be extracted in the vegetables can
disappear when it is cooked. Folic Acid is needed for making new cells or helping in mitosis or
cell division, to make normal-shaped red blood cells, to help prevent anaemia, help prevent heart
disease, stroke and certain cancers and also help prevent birth defects.

There are lot of reasons why should people take folic acid and who should take this kind
of vitamins. First, Folic acid is most likely known for being a vitamin that helps in preventing or
curing anaemia for it is said that it helps in cell division and making of red blood cells.
According to a study in Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Anaemia means that either the
level of red blood cells or the level of haemoglobin in your body is lower than normal, which
means your body does not have enough oxygen. That is why taking folic acid really helps in
producing red blood cells up to its normal count. It is also prescribed to those who are at the age
of caring a child or to those who wants to get pregnant because it helps in forming the baby in
the womb. Other reason why they should take this vitamin is because it helps preventing folate
deficiency just like anaemia that can result to a lot of diseases. According to HOVDENAK, H.,
2012, 25% of pregnant women in India is folate deficient and this result to congenital
malformation, spontaneous abortion and IUGR which according to WebMD refers to a condition
in which an unborn baby is smaller than it should be because it is not growing at a normal rate
inside the womb. Delayed growth puts the baby at risk of certain health problems during
pregnancy, delivery, and after birth.

As for the biggest help of folic acid to health is it prevents NTD’s. What is NTD’s?
Neural Tube Defect is a defect where a baby’s brain and spine fail to close completely. It is the
second most common cause of infant mortality. It occurs 1 out of every 2000 babies. The main
reason of this is that because of the folate deficiency of the mother whose carrying the baby, it
lacks power to generate new cells that will help to the formation of the baby in the womb that
resulted to NTD. One of the most common type of NTD is the Spina Bifida, where in the spine
and the spinal cord didn’t form properly. A child with this case NTD is already considered lucky
for it can be cured by having surgery just right after it is born, while the other type of NTD has a
very small chance of life.

Folic Acid can be taken by capsule or by shots. In capsule, For all women of childbearing
age should receive 400 mcg (microgram) of Folic Acid daily. Whilst, Women who have had a
previous child with NTD should receive 4000 mcg of Folic Acid daily.

Folic Acid is generally safe so there won’t be a life threatening situation when a person
actually took this more that it should be but of course there would be a side effects such as
Interaction with drugs that inhibit folate metabolism, Hypersensitivity reactions, Increased
susceptibility to malaria. In case of overdosing into this drug, the liver would just throw off the
toxic substances into waste products.

References:

 http://www.health.mo.gov/living/wellness/nutrition/nutritionpregnancy/index.php
 www.cdc.gov/ncbdd/folicacid/index.html
 www.modimes.com
 https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/:~:targetText
=Anaemia%20is%20a%20deficiency%20in,haemoglobin%20is%20lower%20tha
n%20normal.
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spina-bifida/symptoms-
causes/syc-
20377860#:~:targetText=Spina%20bifida%20is%20a%20birth,the%20tissues%2
0that%20enclose%20them.
 https://www.webmd.com/baby/iugr-intrauterine-growth-restriction