Folic Acid: The Chemistry

Folic acid is essential in synthesizing thymine and adenine, which are amongst those nucleic acids that compose our genes, chromosomes, and DNA. Folic acid is also essential for the metabolism of the amino acid methionine.

For those who don’t get enough folic acid in their diets, methionine will not be metabolized properly and will result in elevated levels of homocysteine, which contains sulfur. If this acid remains elevated, it can lead to cardiovascular diseases including hypertension.

Folic Acid and Americans

It is estimated that in North America alone, 88 percent of people have some sort of folic acid deficiency. Knowing what foods folic acid is present in will help you incorporate more folic acid in your diet, but it is hard to get enough in our everyday diets alone. That is why through a conversation with your doctor, it may be determined that you need a supplement.

Supplements can fill that gap between how much folic acid you need and how much you are actually taking in. Since the effects of a folic acid deficiency can be detrimental to your cardiovascular health, it is important that you maintain adequate levels of folic acid in your body.

Why is Folic Acid Important?

Now it is probably obvious why folic acid is very important. It is good to know what kinds of foods contain it so that we can try to incorporate folic acid into our diets. Fortified grains, leafy greens, and oranges are amongst the foods where folic acid is present.

If you aren’t getting enough, then you can incorporate a folic acid supplement into your diet after checking with your doctor. There was a new study conducted that proved three weeks of supplementation may help reduce systolic blood pressure (the top number on the blood pressure reading is elevated).

Folic Acid: In many Foods?

Again, it can be difficult to get the essential amounts of folic acid unless you eat a lot of beans and green leafy vegetables. Unfortunately, cooking takes a lot of the folate out of the food. Yet, back in the mid 1990s, folic acid was being added to package products in an effort to increase the folic acid intake. With a number such as 88 percent of North Americans having some kind of folic acid deficiency, this move was a smart move on the end of the manufacturers because by doing this, they are contributing to better health of those who consume their products.

The Importance of Folic Acid to Your Diet

You always want to check with your doctor before increasing your folic acid intake. If you are one who has a high consumption rate of beans and raw green leafy vegetables, you may be getting sufficient amounts of folic acid in your diet. You don’t want to overdo it because high amounts of folic acid can cause certain health issues, but it is extremely hard to overdose on folic acid.

You have to take high amounts of folic acid for prolonged periods of time before you can have a negative reaction to it. Regardless, talking to your doctor about any supplements you are taking is important to maintaining optimal health and avoiding any reactions if you are taking medications. Keeping your doctor up-to-date will ensure that you are on top of your game.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/123617/folic_acid_may_help_women_avoid_hypertension/index.html
http://www.healthandage.com/public/health-center/9/article/3033/Folic-Acid-to-Prevent-Systolic-Hypertension.html
http://www.pinc.com/healthnews/folate.html