Introduction: According to the 2020 "Chinese Clinical Rational Supplementation of Folic Acid Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus", pregnant women, stroke, or patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China should appropriately increase the intake of folic acid to ensure the health of the fetus or the stability of the condition. According to the relevant data of the World Health Organization, the prevalence of stroke in Americans is much lower than that of Chinese, and the United States has always implemented a policy of compulsory folic acid intake. Because of this, more and more people have developed the habit of eating folic acid for health.
But surprisingly, in recent years, the United States has suddenly announced a move to reduce the price of folic acid on the market in a large area. The strict folic acid intake policy that was once implemented has also been adjusted to "not mandatory". According to the explanation of relevant personnel, some research institutions in the United States have found that folic acid may be harmful to the body, and excessive intake will be detrimental to health.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="3" > folic acid intake, what health risks will be caused? </h1>
(1) Prone to nervous system lesions
This is the main reason for the large-scale decline in folic acid in relevant POLICIES in the United States. They found that since the implementation of the policy of mandatory folic acid, although the number of stroke patients has become smaller and smaller, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease, such as inflammation of the nervous system, has increased year by year. The problem is folic acid.
According to relevant research data, excessive intake of folic acid, the components of which will be combined with vitamin B12 in the body in a large area. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in the amount of edible, free vitamin B12 in the human body.
Vitamin B12 is an important substance that nourishes the nervous system and regulates nerve function. If this state of deficiency is maintained for a long time, the nervous system will degenerate and the likelihood of lesions will naturally increase.
(2) It is easy to increase the risk of diabetes
Not only vitamin B12, excessive folic acid intake can also cause the application and retention of the entire vitamin B family to be affected.
The vast majority of vitamin B components can act on the liver, and the lack of vitamin B is bound to have a certain impact on the normal operation of the liver. The liver functions weakly, and the ability to metabolize sugars and fats is also reduced. Excess sugar and fat dissolve in the bloodstream, and the risk of diabetes increases.
(3) The immune system will be damaged
The body's immune system is the most important line of defense against diseases and viruses. The operation mechanism of the immune system relies on the secreted lymphocytes and NK cells to achieve the purpose of eliminating germs and maintaining health.
According to experimental data from the U.S. Department of Agricultural Research at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Excessive folic acid intake may result in a weakening of the ability of NK cells to express activation and inhibition.
Simply put, too much folic acid intake will reduce the work efficiency of NK cells. NK cells are one of the most important "tools" for the immune system. The activity is reduced, the entire immune system will be affected, the immunity will become low, and the probability of developing immune diseases will increase.
It can be seen that the United States has large-scale restrictions on the listing of folic acid and the adjustment and removal of shelves, and there are indeed corresponding reasons for existence. But then again, we still can't ignore the benefits that folic acid may bring to pregnant women, or stroke patients. Now that the United States has removed most of the folic acid. Do stroke patients in China also have to consider folic acid supplementation or not?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="29" > the United States folic acid is removed in a large area, do stroke patients in China still need folic acid supplementation?</h1>
Doctor answers: According to individual circumstances.
The reason why folic acid can help stroke patients stabilize the disease is that the structure of folic acid itself is similar to the necessary synthetic substances in the nervous system. The name is hyperhomocysteine. The decrease in the amount of homocysteine, the circulation and regulation in the cerebral blood vessels are also affected, the probability of blockage increases, and the risk of natural stroke is greater.
However, not all strokes are caused by hyperhomocysteine deficiency. In other words, eating folic acid does not have a certain therapeutic and stabilizing effect on all stroke patients.
Therefore, we recommend patients with type H stroke, which is the symptom described above. Some folic acid can be taken appropriately. Probably not higher than 0.8mg per day.
The rest of the type of stroke population, the intake of folic acid is not clearly defined, can be eaten or not eaten, but still pay attention to, do not consume too much, so as not to bring hidden dangers to the health of the body.
But then again, even for H-type stroke patients, taking folic acid should be taken from a health point of view, and should not be taken randomly. It is necessary to follow a scientific and reasonable medication plan.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="30" > stroke patients who need to take folic acid, how to eat healthy?</h1>
The first is the choice of folic acid. Try to choose active folic acid instead of ordinary folic acid, which has little effect on the stabilization of stroke. Please also choose and distinguish yourself
The second is the amount of folic acid. As mentioned above, it is generally possible to supplement 0.8mg per day. Do not exceed 1.0 mg per day at most.
Finally, there is the absorption of folic acid. I want folic acid to be absorbed better and used more efficiently. It is inseparable from the normal operation and regulation of various organs and tissues in the body. I want my body to function properly. A balanced diet and schedule are very important. Therefore, when taking folic acid, we must ensure the above diet and work conditions, and do not slacken off.
Conclusion: Although folic acid has declined significantly in the United States, excessive intake of folic acid does bring health risks. But we have to look at the problem dialectically, and the benefits of folic acid are still undeniable. For example, patients with H-type stroke can still adhere to the intake of folic acid, and the taking matters in the reference text can be. Don't look at the problem one-sidedly. It can also take a toll on health.