I believe that many people know that folic acid is essential for pregnant women, so do you know what the role of folic acid is? When is folic acid better to eat? How much to eat? What foods are folic acid present in? Let's take a look at this about folic acid.
Folic acid is a B vitamin widely found in green vegetables, and because it was first extracted from plant leaves, it was named "folic acid".
Folic acid is a type of vitamin B family, also known as vitamin B9, which is a water-soluble vitamin. The human body needs it to produce red blood cells, norepinephrine, and Seratonin (a chemical component of the nervous system). Folic acid can help synthesize DNA and maintain the normal function of the brain, and folic acid is also an important part of the spinal fluid, so folic acid is a nutrient that everyone needs.
The role of folic acid
Pregnant women need folic acid 4 times higher than normal people. The first trimester is a critical period for the differentiation of fetal organ systems and the formation of the placenta, and the cells grow and divide very vigorously. At this time, folate deficiency can lead to fetal neural tube malformations, but also to the eyes, lips, palate, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular, kidney, bone and other organs deformities. It can also cause early spontaneous miscarriage.
When is folic acid eaten?
Three months before pregnancy and three months after pregnancy. That is, when the sperm and egg are combined, it is three months before and after, for a total of 6 months. It is emphasized that it should be started before pregnancy, in order to maintain a certain level of folic acid in the woman's body to ensure a better nutritional state of folic acid in the early embryo. According to studies, it takes 4 weeks for women to correct the state of folate deficiency in the body after taking folic acid. In this way, in the sensitive period of fetal neural tube formation in the early stage of pregnancy, enough folic acid can meet the needs of nervous system development, and it is necessary to adhere to the first three months of pregnancy in the sensitive period to play the best preventive effect.
How much folic acid to eat?
Take 0.4 mg of folic acid daily. For pregnant women without folic acid deficiency, daily intake should not be too much, pregnant women consume 0.4 mg per day is enough, if the intake of too much folic acid not only can not play a role in preventing fetal malformations, but also may cover up the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, interfere with zinc metabolism, cause zinc deficiency, nerve damage and other adverse consequences. Of course, expectant fathers can not take it lightly, and can take 0.4 mg of folic acid at the same time, in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Where is folic acid?
Folic acid in food
Green vegetables: lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, greens, dragon's whiskers, cauliflower, rapeseed, cabbage, lentils, pods, mushrooms, etc.
Fresh fruit: oranges, strawberries, cherries, bananas, lemons, peaches, plums, apricots, bayberry, begonias, dates, hawthorns, pomegranates, grapes, kiwis, strawberries, pears, walnuts, etc.
Animal liver, kidney, poultry and eggs: such as pork liver, chicken, beef, mutton, etc.
Beans, nuts: soybeans, soy products, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, almonds, pine nuts, etc.
Cereals: barley, rice bran, wheat germ, brown rice, etc.
Oils and fats: walnut oil.
About this point of folic acid, pregnant mothers still have to pay more attention, in general, folic acid can be stopped until three months of pregnancy, not the entire pregnancy is necessary to take folic acid. When to start and stop taking folic acid is associated with the development of the fetus at different stages of pregnancy. The main purpose of taking folic acid is to prevent congenital neural tube malformations in the fetus.
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