Folic Acid Uses

Sufficient folate intake is required to make healthy blood cells. Taking folic acid supplements can prevent a type of anemia called folate deficiency anemia. 

Folic acid supplementation is particularly important in women of childbearing age. It is required for neural tube defect prevention in early pregnancy. Pregnant women need sufficient folate intake to prevent serious birth defects in the unborn baby. The presence of folic acid deficiency in a pregnant woman can lead to a neural tube defect in the baby - spina bifida (spinal cord defect) or anencephaly (brain defect). Periconceptional vitamin supplementation (taking folic acid in the form of a prenatal vitamin before and after becoming pregnant) can help lower the risk of neural tube birth defects. A daily prenatal vitamin containing folic acid can also help to lower the risk of preterm birth. Prenatal vitamins usually contain at least 600 mcg of folic acid, which is the recommended daily allowance during pregnancy. 

In addition, the folic acid cardiovascular study has shown that vitamin supplementation with folic acid can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Besides preventing vascular disease and coronary heart disease, research has also indicated that folic acid can lower cancer risk, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer risk. However, further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this.

There may be other uses of taking multivitamin supplements, B vitamin supplementation containing folic acid and other B vitamins, or a folic acid vitamin supplement alone. Your doctor or pharmacist can give you further information.

Folic Acid Mechanism of Action

Folate plays a role in protein metabolism and the formation of DNA and RNA in red blood cells. Additionally, folate also has a role in homocysteine metabolism. Homocysteine is an amino acid. High homocysteine blood levels can have harmful effects in the body. Folate helps in lowering homocysteine levels.  

Folic Acid Doses

The dose of folic acid supplementation depends on your age and the condition you are treating. Typical dosing to treat folate deficiency anemia is 1 mg daily initially, and later 100 to 800 mcg per day once the folate deficiency has been corrected. Signs and symptoms of folate deficiency anemia include pale skin, mouth sores, smooth tongue, weakness, tiredness, headache, and effects on cognitive function such as difficulty concentrating, irritability, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. Folate deficiency is often present in conjunction with vitamin B12 deficiency in people with a poor diet, alcoholism, and gastrointestinal conditions like inflammatory bowel disease that lead to poor absorption of nutrients from food.

As mentioned, folate is a B vitamin (vitamin B9) that the body needs to make healthy red blood cells. It is naturally present in foods like dark green leafy vegetables, peas, beans, fruits, nuts, seafood, eggs, dairy, poultry, and grains. You need to get enough folic acid daily through foods and fortified foods to prevent folate deficiency. People who do not get enough folate in their diet may need to add folic acid through vitamin supplementation and fortified foods like cereals and bread that contain added folic acid. The US government requires mandatory folic acid fortification by food manufacturers of breads, cereals, flours, rice, pastas, etc. 

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the recommended daily allowance of folate is as follows:

• Birth to 6 months: 65 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)
• 7 months to 12 months: 80 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)
• 1-3 years: 150 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)
• 4-8 years: 200 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)
• 9-13 years: 300 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)
• 14+ years: 400 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)
• Pregnancy: 600 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)
• Lactation: 500 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents)

Source: National Institutes of Health