Aunt Liu, a 55-year-old hard-working woman, has been running her own small shop all along, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. The years had left marks on her face, and her hands had become rough from the hard work.
Although her life gradually improved, her body unknowingly accumulated fatigue and illness. One day, Aunt Liu walked from home to the store as usual, when suddenly her eyes were dark, her body lost her balance, and she fell heavily to the ground.
Fortunately, there were many people on the road at that time, and well-wishers reached out one after another and sent Aunt Liu to the hospital. After a detailed examination, the doctor found that Aunt Liu's blood lipids were high and there were plaques on the blood vessel walls.
The doctor told her that the fainting was caused by long-term overwork. In order to avoid further deterioration of her condition, the doctor solemnly warned Aunt Liu that she must pay attention to rest, otherwise it may develop into a cerebral infarction.
In addition to the daily advice, the doctor also prescribed some medications for Aunt Liu, including folic acid. This made Aunt Liu a little confused, because in her cognition, folic acid seems to be only needed by women who are trying to get pregnant.
However, she still chose to trust her doctor and take folic acid on time and in the right amount. Three months later, Aunt Liu came to the hospital again for a follow-up. Happily, the results of the examination showed that the plaque in her body did not increase and her blood lipid level also decreased.
This result made Aunt Liu feel very happy, and she couldn't help but sigh at the miraculous effect of folic acid. It turned out that folic acid is not only beneficial for women who are trying to conceive, but also protects cardiovascular health, which is really an eye-opener for her.
01
Who is susceptible to folate deficiency?
Folic acid is an important water-soluble vitamin that is essential for the body's metabolism and health. However, some people are prone to folate deficiency for a variety of reasons. Here are some people who are prone to folate deficiency:
Women who are trying to conceive and pregnant
This is because folic acid plays a key role in fetal neural tube development, and a lack of folic acid can lead to fetal neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Therefore, women who are trying to conceive and pregnant should pay special attention to folic acid intake.
People who are picky eaters and anorexic
They may avoid or reduce their intake of certain foods due to personal taste preferences or psychological factors, resulting in inadequate folate intake. These people should make an effort to adjust their eating habits and ensure a varied diet to ensure adequate folic acid intake.
Patients with gastrointestinal disorders
Gastrointestinal disorders may affect the absorption and utilization of folate, leading to a decrease in folate levels. This group of people needs to be actively treated for gastrointestinal diseases and supplemented with an appropriate amount of folic acid under the guidance of a doctor.
Long-term alcoholics
Alcohol interferes with the metabolism and utilization of folate, leading to folate deficiency. Therefore, people who have been drinking heavily for a long time should reduce the amount of alcohol they drink or quit drinking to protect their health.
People who take certain medications for a long time
People who take some antibiotics and anti-epileptic drugs for a long time are also prone to folic acid deficiency. These drugs can interfere with the metabolism and utilization of folate, leading to a decrease in folate levels. Such people need to supplement folic acid in an appropriate amount under the guidance of a doctor to ensure good health.
02
Is it beneficial or harmful for the elderly to take folic acid for a long time?
Folic acid, the miracle micronutrient, plays a vital role in maintaining human health. Especially for patients with hypertension and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the benefits of folic acid should not be underestimated.
It is like a low-key guardian, silently guarding our cardiovascular system, helping us lower blood pressure and preventing strokes. At the same time, folic acid can also enhance the effect of antihypertensive drugs, making the treatment effect to a higher level, further reducing the risk of stroke.
However, just as there are two sides to everything, folic acid is no exception. While it has many benefits, excessive intake can lead to a range of adverse consequences and even health hazards.
When supplementing folic acid, the elderly must be cautious, follow the doctor's instructions, and do not blindly follow the trend. Excess folic acid may mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, leading to nerve damage;
It may also affect zinc absorption, leading to zinc deficiency and, worse, excessive intake of folic acid may also increase the risk of certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer and prostate cancer.
Therefore, for the elderly, a reasonable intake of folic acid is crucial. While enjoying the benefits of folic acid, we should always be vigilant against its potential risks.
03
Reminder: Take folic acid safely, pay attention to 3 points
Folic acid, this miracle nutrient, plays an important role in our lives. However, like many things, more folic acid is not always better.
The wrong way of supplementing can trigger a cascade of adverse events, which makes us have to be cautious. Experts suggest that when supplementing with folic acid, we should pay attention to the following three details.
First of all, we should avoid the abuse of folic acid, and we should give priority to supplementing it through food. For most people, the effective and safe dose of folic acid is 0.4~1.0 mg per day.
For adults over the age of 18, the recommended daily intake of folic acid is 400 mcg, with a maximum of no more than 1,000 mcg. In daily life, we can choose to eat more foods rich in folic acid such as spinach, chrysanthemum, rape, pork liver, duck eggs, etc., which can not only meet the body's need for folic acid, but also ensure that the dose intake is within a safe range.
Secondly, we want to avoid using folic acid with aluminum-containing preparations at the same time. The combination of folic acid and aluminum-containing preparations may be toxic and pose a potential threat to health. Therefore, when supplementing with folic acid, we should avoid concomitant use with aluminum-containing preparations.
Finally, we need to understand the contraindications of folic acid. While folic acid is beneficial for many people, supplementation is not a good candidate for everyone. For example, patients with megaloblastic anemia cannot be treated with folic acid alone in the absence of vitamin B12.
In addition, folic acid supplementation is not suitable for people who are allergic or intolerant to folic acid. Before supplementing with folic acid, it is best to do it under the guidance of a doctor to ensure our health and safety.