Should young women take more folic acid supplements?

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All women, especially young women 18-24 years of age, need to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid (vitamin B9) each day through supplements, fortified foods, or both in addition to a folate-rich diet. to prevent serious birth defects. So where is vitamin B9 and how to use vitamin B9 for women?

1. B vitamins and folic acid

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin (B9) found naturally in foods: green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, dried beans and peas. Folic acid is a synthetic form of the vitamin that is essential for good health, especially during pregnancy.
Folate and folic acid have a similar effect. The recommended daily amount of folate for adults is 400 micrograms (mcg). Adult women who are planning to become pregnant or may become pregnant should be advised to take 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid per day.

2. Why do women need vitamin B9 supplements?

In fact, most women, including women of childbearing age, don't get enough folate. Only a small number of pregnant women take folic acid for at least 4 weeks before conception and during the first 3 months of pregnancy, because people's awareness of the importance of folic acid is very limited.
Folic acid supplements are beneficial for pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy. Folic acid reduces a baby's risk of birth defects and brain and spinal cord brain diseases - spina bifida and encephalopathy - by 50% or more. Folic acid may also reduce the risk of preeclampsia and premature labor. Doctors recommend that any woman of childbearing age take a multivitamin or folic acid supplement. Folic acid may protect against birth defects that form before a woman knows she is pregnant.
When RBC folate levels are low, in addition to an increased risk of neural tube defects, it is associated with many other health problems, including slow growth in infants and young children, anemia, and digestive disorders. metabolism and tachycardia in adults.
Insufficient vitamin B9 intake for pregnant women can lead to serious birth defects of the brain, spinal cord or their protective covering known as neural tube defects. One of the most common neural tube defects is spina bifida.
Improving the folate status and fortification of folic acid in pregnant women will minimize the risk of neural tube defects. Neural tube defects develop early in pregnancy. In addition to eating foods fortified with folic acid, doctors recommend that all women of childbearing age take a daily multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid and eat a healthy diet.

3. Where is Vitamin B9 found?

Vitamin B9 is found in many foods rich in vitamins and minerals. It has also been added to most breads, flours and other rich grain products over the past 10 years. Folate, a B vitamin that is the natural version of folic acid, is found in green leafy vegetables like spinach and turnip greens, as well as in black beans and beef liver.

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Reference source: webmd.com; NCBI