Li Ping, 52 years old, was diagnosed with high blood pressure a few years ago, and after taking medicine to control it in the past few years, his blood pressure has also fluctuated around 130/75mmHg.
However, a few months ago, he was always dizzy and short of breath from time to time, and it was not until his daughter reminded him that he noticed that it might be high blood pressure, so he quickly went to the hospital for a check-up, and sure enough, his blood pressure soared to 170/100mmHg.
He was puzzled, "Doctor, I've been taking blood pressure medication, why is my blood pressure still rising?"
The doctor explained that he had an increase in homocysteine, reaching 35.5 μmol/L, which is much higher than the normal range of 5-15 μmol/L.
In the end, the doctor did not prescribe other blood pressure drugs for him, but asked him to buy a few yuan of folic acid to eat, he was puzzled by this, "Doctor, I'm not pregnant, why do I need to take folic acid?"
After the doctor's explanation, he was also skeptical, but he still persisted for half a year, and his blood pressure really went down! Why does a few dollars of folic acid have such a miraculous effect?
1. What happens when I take folic acid every day?
Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is one of the important nutrients needed by human beings and is involved in many aspects of system operations, including cell growth, DNA synthesis and repair, and blood production.
If you also think that folic acid is only a maternity product, it is too narrow, in fact, the benefits of folic acid have always been underestimated, and its role is more than that.
(1) Boost immunity
Experimental studies have found that folic acid can effectively promote the function of the immune system, and at the same time help to maintain the normal work of lymphocytes, and folic acid is also involved in the synthesis of human antibodies.
② 预防高同型半胱氨酸血症
Homocysteine is generally metabolized directly by the body, but when the body lacks folic acid, this metabolic process will be blocked, resulting in the continuous accumulation of homocysteine in the body, causing hyperhomocysteinemia.
(3) Stroke prevention
Several studies have shown that folic acid can regulate blood pressure, help people with high blood pressure manage their condition, and prevent strokes.
(4) Prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease
Folic acid can also delay the progression of kidney disease in hypertensive patients, prevent the development of chronic kidney disease, and reduce the risk of uremia.
(5) Prevention of Alzheimer's disease
Middle-aged and elderly people can also supplement folic acid in moderation to improve vascular function, reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, maintain cognitive ability, and prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Therefore, folic acid is not an exclusive product for pregnant women, if you also have relevant indications, you can supplement normally, especially for middle-aged and elderly people.
2. Fudan University research: folic acid promotes cancer development?
With the deepening of scientific research, new discoveries have been made about the role of folic acid in promoting cancer development.
A research team from Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University published a study on the relationship between folic acid intake and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in the journal Nature.
The researchers explored the effect of folic acid on hepatocellular carcinoma by comparing three groups of mice with different folate intakes to observe the control group.
Studies have found that mice with high folic acid intake develop more rapidly in both the number and volume of tumors, and conclude that high folic acid intake will promote the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
The graph comes from the network
In that case, wouldn't you be able to eat folic acid?
Studies have shown that a similar risk is associated with a high intake, with a standard intake of 2 mg/kg in the standard intake group and 10 times higher than the standard group, or 20 mg/kg.
According to the guidance of the US Department of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control, the daily intake of folic acid for pregnant women is 0.4 mg, and the US National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults should consume no more than 1 mg of folic acid per day. Therefore, supplementing with folic acid within the correct dosage range does not have the above risks, and there is no need to worry too much.
In addition, the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health has stated in a special topic on the relationship between folic acid and cancer:
Natural folic acid can reduce the risk of many cancers, but folic acid supplements are different, and moderate supplementation can also help prevent the risk of cancer, but if you already have colorectal cancer, too much folic acid will promote the cancer to develop faster.
Therefore, folic acid has a two-way effect on cancer, eating a moderate amount can prevent cancer, but insufficient or excessive intake will increase the risk of cancer.
3. "Natural folic acid" has been found, and it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people eat more
There are two main sources of folic acid, one is natural folic acid in foods, such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, fruits, and some meats, milk and staple foods also have trace amounts of folic acid. There is also a category of synthetic folic acid, which is supplemented in vitro.
The 2020 edition of the "Chinese Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus on Clinical Rational Folic Acid Supplementation" suggests that the best way for ordinary people to supplement folic acid is through dietary intake, such as eating 200 grams of green leafy vegetables and 300 grams of fruits every day, which can meet the needs of folic acid for a day.
In fact, many common foods contain folic acid, and you can choose more foods rich in folic acid in your daily diet, such as:
1. Red amaranth
Red amaranth has a high nutritional value, and it is also rich in folic acid, which is more than 2 times higher than spinach and 14 times that of sweet potatoes!
2. Peas
The folic acid content of peas can reach 82.6 micrograms per 100 grams, which is 13 times that of apples. In addition, the dietary fiber content in it is also very high, so you can eat more of it every day.
3. Strawberries
Strawberries are not only rich in vitamin C, but also have a lot of pectin and dietary fiber, eat more laxative, and also help antioxidant glycemic index is only 41.
4. Animal liver
In addition to the high cholesterol content of animal liver, the folic acid content is not small, for example, the folic acid content of chicken liver is about 3 times that of red amaranth. Pork liver is more than twice the folic acid content of spinach.
If you want to supplement folic acid, you may wish to start with these foods in your daily life, of course, if you are already severely deficient in folic acid and can no longer meet the needs in your daily diet, it is recommended to seek medical attention in time and take folic acid supplements under the guidance of a doctor.
Resources:
[1] "10 Useful Life Tips, Many People Don't Know After Living for Half a Life!", Health Times.2021-01-12.
[2] "Hot search No. 1!Does eating too much folic acid really cause cancer?This supplement is safer!".Popular Science China.2024-01-10.
[3] "The benefits of "folic acid" are underestimated: not only to control blood pressure but also to prevent stroke.Life Times.2022-09-12.
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