subject: Importance Of Folic Acid [print this page] Folic acid is also known as vitamin B9 or folacin. Folic acid itself is not biologically active and it is important after conversion to tetrahydrolate by dihydrofolate reductase in liver.
The vitamin is widely distributed in nature. Leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, romaine lettuces, dried or fresh beans and peas; fortified grain products; sunflower seeds; fruits like banana, grapefruit, raspberry, strawberry; vegetables like beets, broccoli, corn tomato; Brussels sprouts; liver kidney, yeast and eggs are rich in the vitamin. It is heat labile in acidic environments and may also be subject to oxidation.
Folic acid is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells, for the synthesis of RNA and DNA and thus prevents changes to DNA which in turn prevents cancer. It is especially necessary during periods if cell division and growth like infancy and pregnancy. It also is important for erythropoiesis i.e., formation of blood cells. Derivatives of this vitamin are substrates in a number of single-chain-carbon-transfer reactions. It is believed to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease, stroke. It is believed to reduce risk of allergic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and macular degeneration.
Folic acid deficiency is seen in pregnant women, women on oral contraceptives, alcoholics. It may lead to glossitis, diarrhea, depression, confusion, anemia, and fetal neural tube defects and brain defects during pregnancy. It can lead to megaloblastic anemia. Megaloblastic anemia caused by folic acid deficiency is differentiated from the one caused by vitamin B12 deficiency by the fact that the methylmalonic acid levels are increased in vitamin B12 deficiency which is not the case in folic acid deficiency.
