Folic Acid is Fantastic: Folic Acid Awareness Week promotes healthy diets and outcomes
- mattmoran9
- Jan 7, 2018
- 2 min read
January 7 - 13, 2018 is being recognized as National Folic Acid Awareness week.
You are probably now asking yourself, "Huh? What's so great about folic acid?" Folic acid affects the body in many positive ways. One of the most important of the body's uses of folic is for the proper development of the human body. It is involved in producing the genetic material called DNA and in numerous other bodily functions.
Folic acid is usually suggested to be taken by women who are or may become pregnant. This is to combat the risk of major birth defects. The supplement is suggested to begin one month before an attempt at pregnancy. Because of this, it is often advised that all women take folic acid until the age of 45. Because of its assistance in the generation of new cells, it also promotes healthy skin, hair, and nail growth.
Folic acid's benefits extend beyond that of just women though. For our aging population, folic acid has a number of other uses which include those designated for:
Age-related hearing loss
Preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Nerve pain
Muscle pain
Sleep problems
Restless leg syndrome
How do we get enough folic acid? That can be obtained by taking a multivitamin every day that lists a 100% Daily Value for folic acid or by eating a breakfast cereal every day that lists a 100% Daily Value for folic acid.
Folic acid also occurs naturally in certain foods. Foods that are naturally high in folic acid include leafy greens, asparagus, okra, fruits, orange juice, beans, and meat such as beef liver and kidney.
Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin any vitamin supplement program and discuss the benefits these supplements may have to your health. Also speak with you doctor before you make any major changes to your diet.
For more information about National Folic Acid Awareness Week, visit here.
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