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Folic Acid

Other Names
B Complex Vitamin
Vitamin B9
Tetrahydrofolate
Folinic Acid
Folate
Folacin
Dihydrofolate

Chemical and Structural Formula


C19H19N7O6

Active Site
-Absorbed in small intestine
-jejunum

Sources of Folic Acid


Synthetic form = Folic Acid
Natural form = Folate
Folate is in:
- dark leafy greens
- citrus fruits
- beans, lentils
- asparagus
Ages 14+ need 400 mg/day

Folic Acid Deficiency


Dietary insufficiency or absorption trouble
Anemia:
- Hinders red blood cell production
Birth defects:
- Neural tube defects
ex) spina bifida
Symptoms: weakness, ulcers, lightheaded

Roles: Body Temperature


-Does not regulate body temperature
-Reports of excess consumption causing
increased temperature

Acid- Base Balance


- Folic acid is an acidic compound
- Daily dosage of 0.8mg of folic acid
maximizes the reduction of homocysteine
concentration

Disease Prevention
- Arthritis
- Heart disease
- converts Homocysteine into other substances
-Colon and Cervical cancer (research stage)
-Macular degeneration
-Vitiligo
-Alzheimers (research stage)
- Osteoporosis (research stage)

Hormonal Control
Helps maintain the balance of:
Estrogen
Progesterone

Functioning of Body Systems


- Prevents severe birth defects
- Produced healthy red blood cells
- Helps in Digestion and strengthening the
nervous system
- Provides immune power
- Lowers the risk of serious diseases

Control of Blood Pressure


- reduces risk of high blood pressure
- more effective for women

Growth and Repair


-Reduces the occurrences of Neural Tube
Defects
-Modulate key mechanism for growth in
Central Nervous System
- Plays a role in DNA replication/production

Reproduction
Extremely important to avoid deficiency
during pregnancy
- causes neural tube defects
- lack of red blood cells

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