Folic Acid And Pregnancy

The Role And Importance Of Folic Acid In Preconception And Pregnancy

 

Folate, folic acid, or vitamin B9 plays a very important role in the good development of the fetus, its involvement in pregnancy starts from the first day of conception. However, since most women find out they are pregnant only after 4-6 weeks of pregnancy, specialists suggest that folic acid supplementation be started from the preconception period. We invite you to discover the importance of folic acid in pregnancy and preconception.

If, on the one hand, some specialists believe that folate or folic acid represents the same thing, there are still voices that claim that folate is found naturally in food, while folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin from the B complex.

Folate is found in all green leafy vegetables, legumes (dried beans, peas), most whole grains, animal/bird organs (liver, kidney, heart, kidney), fruits such as bananas, strawberries, grapefruit, oranges, raspberries, in peanuts and seeds, but also in dairy products.

High temperature destroys this vitamin, but pasteurized products still retain it, such as pasteurized milk.

Folate is involved in many processes in our body, the best known being the formation of red blood cells. Thus, the lack of folic acid leads to the onset of anemia.

For expectant mothers, doctors recommend supplementing the diet with folic acid from the preconception period, even a few months before conceiving the baby.

Implications of folic acid in pregnancy

It seems that folic acid remains one of the most important vitamins for pregnancy, its roles are very important especially at the beginning of pregnancy, in the first weeks of fetal development.

The main roles of folic acid in pregnancy and outside it in the woman, but also for the man are:

• 50-70% reduction in the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus, such as spina bifida;

• Reducing the risk of "rabbit lip" in the fetus;

• Reducing the risk of miscarriage and premature birth;

• Lowering the risk of developing congenital cardiovascular diseases in the fetus;

• Reducing the risk of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia;

• In men, folic acid supports spermatogenesis;

• Folic acid supplementation is also recommended during breastfeeding, supporting the production of breast milk and preventing anemia in the mother and the breastfed baby;

• Folic acid supplementation prevents and treats megaloblastic anemia;

Folic acid deficiency can also lead to other disorders, such as decreased immune system activity, anemia, migraine and nervous system dysfunctions (numbness, attention deficit, decreased memory, sleep disorders), irritability, depression, fatigue, acceleration of breathing, onset of allergies, muscle pain, restless legs syndrome, etc.

The recommended daily dose of folic acid is 0.2-0.3 mg. A balanced diet containing green vegetables will provide a sufficient amount. For women who want to get pregnant, the optimal dose of folic acid in preconception is 0.4 mg, and the need for folic acid increases during pregnancy.