"Ouch, let me tell you, this folic acid is really the gospel of our tired people!" Aunt Liu was chatting with Uncle Li next door while serving hot buns to the guests.
Aunt Liu is 55 years old this year, and her breakfast shop has been open for several years. She started working in the early hours of the morning, and she didn't take much care of her body in order to live.
But some time ago, she always felt dizzy, and her eyes were blurry and she couldn't see clearly. Early that morning, she hurried to the hospital, worried that something would happen.
The doctor said she was just overtired and anemic, and then prescribed her folic acid to give her a good rest. Aunt Liu did so, and three months later, she found that she was much better and slept soundly.
"Uncle Li, you should also ask the doctor to see if you can prescribe some folic acid to eat. Aunt Liu enthusiastically suggested, "At our age, we have to take good care of ourselves!"
Folic acid, is it really that magical?
01
In recent years, the problem of cerebral infarction in mainland China has become increasingly serious, which has triggered people's deep thinking about its causes. Some people believe that the problem of cerebral infarction is related to the lack of folic acid, and this statement deserves our in-depth discussion.
According to statistics, there are 2.5 million new cases of stroke in China every year, including 1.6 million stroke deaths, and the incidence rate of the disease is also showing an increase rate of 8.7%.
In this case, stroke has become one of the most important fatal and disabling diseases in the adult population. So, is this related to insufficient folate intake?
Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is one of the essential water-soluble vitamins for the human body, which is mainly consumed through food.
However, since the body cannot synthesize folic acid on its own, it must be obtained from foods such as animal liver, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, etc.
However, folic acid in food is mainly in the form of polyglutamic acid, and its utilization rate is only 50%, coupled with the loss of folic acid during cooking, so that the body really absorbs and utilizes very little folic acid.
To further explore the relationship between folic acid and cerebral infarction, we need to understand H-type hypertension.
Type H hypertension is defined as a condition in which the patient has a level of 15 μmol/L ≥ homocysteine, which is an intermediate product of folate metabolism. High levels of homocysteine are strongly associated with the risk of diseases such as stroke and heart disease.
Folic acid can promote homocysteine metabolism and effectively prevent hyperhomocysteinemia, thereby playing a role in blood pressure regulation, lipid metabolism, and atherosclerosis prevention.
Studies have shown that one to two tablets of folic acid (0.8mg) per day can reduce the risk of stroke by 21%, especially in patients with high blood pressure who have low platelet levels, and can reduce the risk of stroke by 73%.
02
Folic acid is not limited to pregnant women, but also has many benefits for middle-aged and elderly people. Understanding these benefits helps us better focus and practice folic acid supplementation.
01Delay cognitive decline
Appropriate folic acid supplementation can effectively delay the decline of cognitive function and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Medical studies have shown that folic acid is involved in the metabolic processes of the brain's nervous system, helping to maintain the normal function of nerve cells and slowing down the aging of cognitive function.
02Prevention of chronic kidney disease
Folic acid supplementation can also help prevent and delay the development of chronic kidney disease. Folic acid can promote homocysteine metabolism and reduce the risk of kidney damage, thereby delaying the progression of chronic kidney disease.
03Prevention of anemia
When the human body lacks folic acid, it may lead to the poor development of red blood cells in the bone marrow, causing anemia, and folic acid supplementation can promote the normal development of red blood cells, prevent and treat anemia.
Although folic acid has many benefits for middle-aged and elderly people, it is also necessary to pay attention to the appropriate amount. Long-term excessive intake of folic acid may mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, affect zinc absorption, and increase the risk of neurodegeneration and cancer.
Therefore, it is recommended to control the intake of folic acid under the guidance of a doctor to ensure safe and effective supplementation.
03
The price of folic acid products on the market varies widely, ranging from a dozen to several hundred, which makes it easy for consumers to wonder: does the price reflect the quality and effectiveness of the product?
First of all, most of the more than a dozen pieces of folic acid are pure folic acid drugs in pharmacies, and the price of a bottle is generally between 2 and 10 yuan.
This type of product is mainly a single-ingredient folic acid drug, which is suitable for daily supplementation in the general population.
The folic acid of a few hundred yuan is mostly health care products with multivitamins and other ingredients added, and the price of a box may range from 100 to 300 yuan.
In addition to folic acid, these products contain a variety of vitamins and minerals to help with overall nutrition.
The price difference is mainly due to the production process, formula composition and market positioning of the product.
The production process and review standards of drugs and health products are different, and the review mechanism of drugs is more stringent, so the price is relatively low. On the other hand, health supplements focus more on comprehensive nutritional supplementation and functionality, so the price is relatively high.
01How should consumers choose?
The first thing to do is to be clear about your needs and budget. If you are simply supplementing with folic acid, you can choose a pure folic acid drug with a lower price.
But if you're looking for a holistic supplement to boost your overall health, opt for a supplement that is fortified with multivitamins and minerals.
In addition, you need to pay attention to the amount of folic acid in the product, as well as whether other ingredients meet your needs.
Regardless of which product you choose, you should ensure that the product is properly sourced and meets the relevant standards. In addition, the intake of folic acid also needs to be carefully controlled, and the daily intake should be within the safe range recommended by the doctor.
Finally, consumers are reminded that in addition to purchasing, they can also supplement with folic acid by receiving free state-issued folic acid supplements.
In addition, the daily diet should also consume more foods rich in folic acid, such as animal liver, green leafy vegetables, legumes, etc., to achieve comprehensive nutritional supplementation.
To sum up, the main differences between a dozen and a few hundred folic acids are in composition, function and market positioning.
Consumers should choose according to their needs and budget, while ensuring product quality and safe intake.
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