Text | Duan Junhong
Figure | Sourced from the web
Nutritional balance is an important aspect of ensuring good health and reducing the risk of related diseases. What nutrients are more worth supplementing? And how to add it correctly? Today we will talk about two very important nutrients - folic acid and vitamin B12.
When it comes to folic acid, people naturally contact pregnant women. However, if you think that folic acid is a special drug for pregnant women, then you can underestimate it.
First, folic acid belongs to the B vitamin, also known as vitamin B9, which is a member of the B vitamin group with vitamin B12, both of which are water-soluble vitamins that need to be obtained daily from the diet or dietary supplements. So, where do they all come from?
Look over! Do you understand folic acid?
The name folic acid comes from the Latin word "Folium", which means "leaf", because it was originally found in spinach leaves, so it is particularly abundant in green leafy plants, such as spinach, celery and cauliflower. In addition, it is also abundant in the liver and kidneys of animals, as well as fruits such as pears and citrus, as well as some other nuts.
Vitamin B12 is mainly derived from animal foods, especially animal offal, fish and eggs, followed by dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.), plant foods generally do not contain this vitamin.
Therefore, we cannot be picky eaters, so that we can get enough folic acid and vitamin B12 from animal and plant foods.
What are the benefits of folic acid supplementation and vitamin B12?
First, prevent and treat megaloblastic poverty
Vitamin B12 is involved in the nucleic acid metabolism of cells and is an essential substance in the hematopoietic process. When vitamin B12 is deficient, it leads to impaired DNA synthesis in red blood cells, inducing megaloblastic anemia (i.e., pernicious anemia).
If the body is deficient in folic acid, it may affect normal hematopoietic function and increase the risk of pernicious anemia.
Second, prevent neuropathy
Folic acid and vitamin B12 can prevent senile dementia, some experts emphasize that the elderly over 60 years old (preferably advanced to middle age) even if there is no anemia, should often supplement folic acid and vitamin B12, to avoid irreversible nerve cell damage, thereby reducing the risk of dementia; vitamin B12 deficiency, easy to make people slow thinking, mood depression, loss of will, suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Third, it has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system
Homocysteinemia has been shown to be an independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Folic acid and vitamin B12 can promote the conversion of homocysteine, if the body lacks these two nutrients, it may lead to an increase in homocysteine, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Fourth, expectant mothers must supplement with folic acid
Folic acid is a material raw material necessary for the neurodevelopment of the fetal brain, which plays an important role in the cell division, proliferation and growth of various tissues of the fetus.
Adequate folic acid supplementation by expectant mothers can prevent fetal neural tube malformations and avoid giving birth to defective babies. It can reduce the occurrence of pregnancy complications in pregnant women, such as pregnancy hypertension, preeclampsia, and placental abruption. It also reduces your child's risk of developing many diseases in the future, such as allergic diseases, metabolic diseases, tumors, and brain dysfunction.
Who needs more attention to folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation? Let's introduce you to different situations.
The following 5 groups of people should pay more attention to folic acid supplementation:
✔ People with diseases of the digestive tract, disorders of nutrient absorption;
✔ People with unbalanced dietary structure and low long-term intake of vegetables and fruits in daily life;
✔ People with associated genotypes that lead to disorders in the metabolism of folic acid to active products in vivo;
✔ Long-term alcoholism, people with alcohol dependence;
✔ Long-term use of certain drugs, such as sulfasalazine for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, will also affect the absorption of folic acid, resulting in folate deficiency.
The following 5 categories of people should pay more attention to vitamin B12 supplementation:
✔ Patients with atrophic gastritis;
✔ In patients with pernicious anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia, and pernicious anemia can also affect the absorption of vitamin B12;
✔ Have intestinal-related diseases and are unable to absorb vitamin B12;
✔ Long-term use of certain drugs will affect the absorption of vitamin B12, such as proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, as well as metformin, etc.;
✔ Long-term alcohol abuse can affect the body's nutrient absorption, leading to vitamin B12 malabsorption;
✔ Certain immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease and lupus, can also affect the absorption of vitamin B12.
In short, vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency are often synchronized, and both should be paid attention to when supplementing. In addition, under the guidance of a doctor, reasonable supplementation should be made, and blindness should not be avoided. I hope everyone has a healthy body!