What are the effects of high folic acid

Many women take folic acid after pregnancy because it can relieve women's morning sickness to a certain extent. In addition, folic acid can reduce the possibility of cleft lip and palate in the fetus, and is of great help to the brain development of the fetus. In short, folic acid has many benefits for both pregnant women and fetuses. However, there may be cases where the folic acid level is too high, in which case the folic acid intake needs to be adjusted.

Folic acid is composed of pteridine, para-aminobenzoic acid and L-glutamic acid, also known as pteroylglutamate, which is a type of B vitamin. After it was discovered, it was named: Vitamin M, Vitamin Bc, R factor, etc. In 1941, because this biological factor was discovered in spinach, it was named folic acid. Folic acid is rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. If food is cooked for a long time, the folic acid in it can be lost by 50% to 90%. Folic acid is mainly absorbed in the duodenum and proximal jejunum. The human body stores 5 to 20 mg of folic acid. Folic acid is mainly excreted from the body through urine and feces, with a daily excretion of 2 to 5 ug.

Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin. Pregnant women need four times more folic acid than normal people. The early pregnancy is a critical period for the differentiation of fetal organ systems and the formation of the placenta, and cell growth and division are very active. At this time, folic acid deficiency can lead to fetal malformations. For example, neural tube defects, which occur at an incidence of about 3.8‰ in China, include anencephaly, spina bifida, etc. It may also cause early spontaneous abortion. In the second and third trimesters, in addition to the growth and development of the fetus, the development of the mother's blood volume, breasts, and placenta greatly increases the need for folic acid. If folic acid is insufficient, pregnant women are prone to placental abruption, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and megaloblastic anemia; the fetus is prone to intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth, and low birth weight, and the growth and intellectual development of the fetus after birth will be affected.

Before preparing for conception, in addition to basic quitting smoking and drinking, expectant mothers and fathers must also maintain a happy mood. Women who are preparing to become pregnant should start taking 400μg of folic acid every day before pregnancy. American researchers found that if women start taking folic acid supplements in the early stages of pregnancy, they can reduce the chances of their babies having cleft lip in the future. In addition, it is very important for pregnant mothers to take vitamins correctly. Multivitamins (rich in vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and folic acid) and comprehensive minerals (containing 1000 mg of calcium and 500 mg of magnesium) are also very important for preventing the baby's brain and nerve defects.

Precautions

There are many foods that contain folic acid, but because folic acid becomes unstable when exposed to light and heat and easily loses its activity, the human body can only obtain very little folic acid from food. For example, vegetables lose 50% to 70% of folic acid after being stored for 2 to 3 days; cooking methods such as making soup will cause the loss of 50% to 95% of folic acid in food; vegetables soaked in salt water will also lose a lot of folic acid. Therefore, people should change some cooking habits to minimize folic acid loss and increase the intake of foods rich in folic acid.

Pregnant mothers should pay attention to the following general guidelines for maintaining food nutrition when supplementing folic acid:

1. Fresh vegetables you buy should not be kept for a long time.

2. The rice washing time should not be too long.

3. It is not advisable to add alkali when cooking porridge.

4. When cooking meat dishes, it is best to cut the meat into minced meat, thin strips or small thin slices and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Large pieces of meat and fish should first be placed in cold water and simmered over low heat until cooked through.

5. It is best not to eat fried foods frequently.