| Folate (folic acid) | |||||
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- What is folate (folic acid)?
- Important folate (folic acid) facts
- Why folate (folic acid) is important
Folate (folic acid) is one of the B Vitamin co-factors - it assists the B vitamins to function properly.
Folate (folic acid) is required for the normal growth and maintenance of every cell in the body. It is required to enable for red blood cell formation and it helps to make new red blood cells work efficiently and properly.
Important folate (folic acid) facts
- Folate (folic acid) is required for DNA synthesis and cell growth
- Beans are an excellent source of folate (folic acid)
- Folate (folic acid) is also known as vitamin B9
Why folate (folic acid) is important
Folate (folic acid) is necessary to treat folic acid (megaloblastic) anaemia, which is a condition that reduces the number of red blood cells in the body.
Folate (folic acid) is an important in nucleic acid synthesis.
Recent research has discovered that a deficiency of folate (folic acid) during (and even just before) pregnancy, can lead to neural tube defects in the unborn child, so supplements are recommended.
references
- McGuire M, Beerman KA, Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food, 2007 Thomson Wadsworth USA
- Rolfes SR, Pinna K, Whitney E, Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition 7th Edition, 2006 Thomson Wadsworth USA
- Tortora GJ, Derrickson BH. Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. 11th edition, 2005. Wiley Publishing
To learn more, go to the following web sites:
- Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
- Dieticians Association of Australia
- Nutrient Reference Values (Australia)
