Recently in the preparation for pregnancy, is it time to eat folic acid?
Recently asked a question, in fact, the question is a good friend, when encountering medical knowledge always like to ask me questions, recently also began to prepare for pregnancy, so specially asked.
But the next question is very confusing.
"I heard that everyone is eating an imported health product, is it more effective?"
In fact, what she said I can probably understand, for most Chinese women will choose to supplement folic acid when they are trying to get pregnant, but many people will choose a health care product that contains folic acid, love XX (I am not advertising ah), but not simply eat folic acid.
But what is she eating? Is this health supplement useful in the end?
Before answering his question, I actually want to ask three more questions.
1. Is folic acid useful?
Why do you have to take folic acid when you are trying to get pregnant? In fact, he is also very simple, in order to prevent a congenital disease: neural tube defects.
This kind of problem is also called neural tube malformation, in the early stage of embryonic development, due to incomplete closure of the neural tube, it will lead to this congenital disease, we are more familiar with spina bifida and cerebral bulge belong to this type of problem, of course, more extreme conditions will also appear anencephaly.
It's scary to hear the name, and in fact, it's the case, a lot of brainless or severe brain bulges can lead to serious consequences, leaving pregnant women and even the whole family overshadowed.
Studies have shown that in some areas of China, the incidence of neural tube defects can reach 0.45%, especially in the north of China, the incidence may be higher, or even up to 1.05%.
However, in order to prevent this disease, our country began preventive action in June 2009, specifically by supplementing folic acid, and strong support for women with fertility plans, providing them with free folic acid supplements.
Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is not synthesizable in the human body and can only be supplemented through food.
Fortunately, folic acid can appear in many commonly used foods, such as dark green vegetables or fruits. Of course, some soy and tree nuts, and even animal offal, contain large amounts of natural folic acid.
The natural content of folic acid is not low, as long as you eat normally, there will be no lack of folic acid in your diet.
The folic acid here is all natural folic acid, the bioavailability of this type of folic acid is very low, even if it is eaten into the stomach will not be completely absorbed, especially for pregnant women who need folic acid, then folic acid is more valuable.
How to supplement folic acid? Do they need to eat a lot of green leaves every day?
In fact, compared with natural folic acid, the bioavailability of some synthetic folic acid will be slightly higher, and even reach about 60%.
How to raise the level of doctors in the blood through oral folic acid supplements is particularly important, but how to do it?
Second, please answer three questions.
We already know that folic acid is important and should be taken when trying to conceive, but before that we should judge three questions, and after answering this question, we will know how to use it.
1. Are you pregnant?
First, determine the timing of folic acid supplementation.
Generally speaking, folic acid can be supplemented from the beginning of pregnancy, and some guidelines recommend that it should be started at least three months before pregnancy, and there is no need to supplement until the third month of pregnancy, because the child's neural tube has grown up at three months of pregnancy.
2. Have you experienced neural tube defects?
This question is actually very embarrassing, but it must be asked, for many families have never heard of this disease, so they do not need to supplement a lot of folic acid, 0.4 mg per day is enough.
But if there is a history of neural tube defect fertility, then it is even more important to be careful, and at least one month before pregnancy, you should start supplementing with folic acid 4 mg per day until the third month of pregnancy.
But our country does not have a 4 mg dose, so many doctors recommend that you can buy 5 mg of folic acid, no big problem.
But it should be repeated again, there is no experience of neural tube defects, in fact, the dose of folic acid supplementation is much worse, 0.4 mg and 4 mg, which can be 10 times worse.
3. Does the expectant mother have diabetes, or is she obese?
This question should be answered truthfully, I do have diabetes or obesity problems, then folic acid should be appropriately increased, also at least three months before pregnancy, the daily supplement dose needs to reach between 0.8 mg and 1.0 mg, and finally until the third trimester of pregnancy.
Third, should I buy health care products?
In fact, after answering the above three questions, many people already know their positioning, whether it is time to supplement folic acid, have the answer, but the new question has also emerged: there are many kinds of folic acid sold on the market, the most widely circulated is a health care brand of folic acid.
So should we choose the drug folic acid, or should we choose this type of health supplement?
In fact, there are some opinions on this kind of problem.
First of all, the most recommended is the national medicine quasi-word approval number of the drug, this type of drug has a clear approval, as long as it is from the regular pharmacy to buy the regular pharmaceutical factory production products, in fact, are of good quality and quantity, there is no problem with use.
There are also some health foods, there are small blue hat logos below, this kind of health food actually has certain factors, just like the love XX we mentioned above, containing folic acid content can not be low, even contains 0.8 mg, of course, in addition to vitamin A, calcium ions, iron ions, etc., this multivitamin although also contains folic acid, but also can provide a large number of other trace elements.
However, there are also some disadvantages, that is, the pills are too large, many people will feel uncomfortable eating into the stomach, and even women who are pregnant in the early stages of pregnancy have a very violent vomiting reaction and are very uncomfortable to eat. However, after three months, it is also a good choice to use this multivitamin, which can provide a full range of vitamin supplements.
summary.
Women who are trying to become pregnant should supplement folic acid, a small amount of folic acid can prevent very serious diseases, and supplementation is also very necessary.
Especially in the northern countryside of our country, folic acid supplementation is very important.
Different doses must be distinguished well, for most people do not have a history of such diseases, and there is no problem with related diseases, then choose 0.4 mg is enough, but if there is a problem but also a specific analysis of the specific situation, do not eat less.
Finally, how to choose folic acid is also a science, theoretically a simple folic acid tablet is enough, but this folic acid tablets will be very cheap, as long as a few dollars can get a month's supplement.
However, if the conditions permit, or can accept the choice of some multivitamin health food, it is also optional, and it will not bring much harm to the body.
As for how to choose, now you understand.
bibliography
[1] Working Group on Guidelines for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects with Folic Acid Supplementation during Perinatal Conception, Ren Aiguo, Zhang Xuejuan, Liu Huishu, Zhu Liping, Liu Kaibo, Jia Yanju. Guidelines for the prevention of neural tube defects with folic acid supplementation during per conception (2017)[J].Chinese Journal of Reproductive Health,2017,28(05):401-410.