Today we are going to learn all about folic acid, also known as vitamin B9. This compound is of vital importance during pregnancy, and, to tell the truth, throughout our lives. Folic acid has several functions that have serious consequences if we do not take enough during pregnancy, and those consequences fall directly on the future member of the family.
Folic acid appears in a multitude of foods and has a great weight in our health , health that begins when we are embryos. Throughout this text we are going to discover why it is so important to take vitamin B9 before, during and after pregnancy, what are the consequences of not taking it, the amounts that pregnant women should take and if we risk taking it naturally or opt for supplements.
There are many doubts that exist around folic acid and we are going to try to solve them all easily and quickly so that everything is clear at a glance. This information is of vital importance both for those who are looking for a child, as well as for those who have already given the news and for all those who do not understand why there is so much talk about folic acid.
Bringing a child into the world is one of the greatest responsibilities that human beings decide to have. The well-being of that life begins when we are looking for it and must be hardened when we are already clear that we want to move on and give it the opportunity to change the world and show it the beautiful side of life.
Why is vitamin B9 important?
Folic acid is important because it stimulates the production of red blood cells, apart from contributing to the development and growth of all cells in the body. It also helps break down proteins, collaborates in the creation of genetic material. In addition, it works closely with other important vitamins such as C and B12, which is why B9 is so important in our body.
During pregnancy or the search for it, women have to increase the dose of folate or folic acid so that the growth, formation and development of the fetus go perfectly.
Likewise, folic acid must exist in our day to day , since many scientific studies affirm that this vitamin helps prevent degenerative diseases, and even diabetes, breast, prostate and uterine cancer, as well as help reduce the blood pressure.
As we know, the body works in a chain, and if a vitamin or mineral is missing or fails, the rest of the process can be seriously affected. Vitamin B9 is responsible for creating all the cells of the body, think about hair, nails, our skin, organs, neurons, eggs, DNA, blood cells, etc.
When should you start taking it?
Experts recommend, for the reasons we have given in the previous section, that folate is never lacking in our daily lives, but the dose should be increased if we are looking for a baby or if we are already pregnant.
It is best to start when we are looking for a baby. We can increase the amounts of foods that have B9 or we can supplement with folate. That decision rests with our doctor.
To be truly useful, it must be started before conception or, failing that, in the first 3 weeks after we know we are pregnant. This order is not whim, but is due to the formation of the neural tube (the part of the embryo from which the brain and spinal cord are formed) that develops in the first 4 weeks of pregnancy.
If not formed properly, it can lead to neuronal abnormalities, defects in the brain or spinal cord. For this reason, many experts recommend taking vitamin B9 in childbearing years if we are almost convinced that we want to have children, if we do not want to, it is not necessary to reinforce that vitamin, since in a balanced diet there is enough folic acid for an adult woman.
Daily dose and how to take it
The most comfortable way to ensure the necessary amounts during pregnancy or while looking for the baby is to take supplements. There are dozens of brands on the market, we just have to choose one and improve our diet by increasing the amounts of fruits (bananas, melon, orange, strawberries, lemon and grapefruit); green leafy vegetables, legumes, and grains such as lentils, peas, and beans; and nuts of all kinds (not raw).
A normal pregnant woman should take about 400 mg of folic acid a day . It will be the doctor who indicates if it is taken more or less, depending on whether there have been abortions, previous pregnancies, if it is twins or triplets (or more), if it is natural fertilization or not, etc.
According to the WHO, the estimated amount of folic acid during pregnancy should be between 60 mg a day and 800 mg a day, although the exact daily amount for our specific case can only be told by a doctor.
Consequences of not taking folic acid
The consequences, both for pregnant women and for women who are not, are very negative, as for men. In a balanced diet an average of 200 mg of folic acid is consumed per day, but of course it must be a very varied diet with lentils, peanuts, spinach, chickpeas, broccoli, beef liver, chard, celery, tomatoes, asparagus, seeds of sunflower, lettuce, almonds, etc.
If a deficit of B9 arises in the body, we will have kidney problems, cognitive problems; bone and muscle aches; little resistance when doing physical exercise; pale skin; sores in the mouth; sore and swollen tongue; loss of sense of taste; irregular menstruation; anemia; lack of appetite; feeling of fatigue; irritability; episodes of diarrhea, among other consequences that affect everyone, men and women.
If we do not take enough folate before and during pregnancy, we expose ourselves to our baby having malformations; possible premature delivery ; chances of spontaneous delivery; problems with your nervous system; heart abnormalities; it will cause your brain to not form well ; poor bone structure; spinal column with malformations, among other serious consequences.
