Folic acid is an essential nutrient that we must consume through our diet. If we do not consume enough folic acid, deficiency symptoms and long-term health problems will occur.
Here you will learn why folic acid is so important, how to recognize a deficiency, and how you can meet your folic acid needs.
Why is folic acid important?
Folic acid is one of the B vitamins , it is also known as vitamin B9. This means that folic acid is one of the water-soluble vitamins.
Folic acid has important functions in cell division and blood formation. It is involved in the production of DNA. DNA must be duplicated before each cell division.
Folic acid is also important for the development of the nervous system.
Folic acid also plays an important role in homocysteine metabolism . Homocysteine is a toxic metabolic product and folic acid is involved in the conversion of homocysteine into the amino acid methionine. A folic acid deficiency can therefore lead to increased homocysteine levels. [1]
The European Food Safety Authority confirms the following effects of folic acid in its Health Claims Regulation:
- helps reduce tiredness and fatigue
- contributes to normal psychological function
- contributes to normal blood formation
- contributes to normal amino acid synthesis
- contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism
- has a function in cell division
- contributes to the growth of maternal tissue during pregnancy
Folic acid daily requirement
According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), the daily folic acid requirement for adults is 300 µg. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased need: pregnant women need 550 µg daily, breastfeeding women 450 µg. [2]
Unfortunately, most Germans do not consume enough folic acid. The National Consumption Study found that women consume an average of 184 µg of folic acid per day, while men consume 207 µg. [3]
Symptoms: How to recognize a folic acid deficiency
A folic acid deficiency is manifested by the following symptoms:
- Exhaustion and fatigue
- paleness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased susceptibility to infection
- Mood swings and depression
- Loss of appetite
However, these symptoms are non-specific. This means that they can have many causes and do not clearly indicate a folic acid deficiency. To determine a folic acid deficiency, the folate concentration in the blood serum must be determined.
Caution : During pregnancy, a folic acid deficiency can cause neural tube defects and malformations in the unborn child. To prevent a deficiency, the DGE recommends taking 400 µg of folic acid daily at least 4 weeks before the planned pregnancy and during the first trimester of pregnancy. [4]
Foods containing folic acid
Liver, legumes, seeds and green leafy vegetables are particularly good sources of folic acid. The following table shows the 10 best sources of folic acid: [5]
|
Groceries |
Folic acid content ( µg/100 g) |
% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) [6] |
|
Chicken liver |
588 |
294 |
|
Chickpeas |
577 |
289 |
|
Sunflower seeds |
273 |
137 |
|
Peanuts |
240 |
120 |
|
Wakame seaweed |
196 |
98 |
|
spinach |
194 |
97 |
|
Quinoa |
184 |
92 |
|
avocado |
89 |
45 |
|
Eggs |
71.4 |
36 |
|
asparagus |
52 |
26 |
Folic acid as a dietary supplement
If the need for folic acid cannot be met through food, a folic acid supplement is advisable.
Folic acid can be present in various forms. The active form 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) is particularly important in metabolism. Many people have a genetic mutation that means that folic acid cannot be converted into 5-MTHF. You should therefore make sure that food supplements contain 5-MTHF. This is especially important if you are trying to have children or are pregnant.
A daily dose of 400 µg 5-MTHF is recommended for women who wish to have children and pregnant women in the first trimester.
When it comes to folic acid supplements, you should also make sure that they are free of unnecessary additives such as binding, separating and gelling agents, artificial preservatives, colorings and sweeteners.
Viktilabs folic acid is of the highest quality and purity and is developed in Germany.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554487/
[2] https://www.dge.de/forschung/referenzwerte/folat/?L=0
[3] https://www.dge.de/forschung/faqs/folat/
[4] https://www.dge.de/forschung/referenzwerte/folat/?L=0
[5] https://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000112000000000000000.html
[6] https://pharma-kodex.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Verregulation-EU-Nr.-1169-2011-Anhang-XIII-Stand-18.11.2014.pdf
