There are several types of folic acid

Everyone is familiar with folic acid, especially those who are preparing for pregnancy. They all need to take folic acid. Folic acid can enhance the body's resistance and prevent anemia. Women who are preparing for pregnancy or pregnant can take folic acid to prevent the baby from being deformed. However, there are many types of folic acid on the market, and most people often don't know how to choose folic acid. How many types of folic acid are there?

How many types of folic acid are there?

1. Natural folic acid

Natural folic acid is found in many foods, especially green vegetables and animal livers. Common ones include yeast, pork liver, spinach, etc. The biggest disadvantage of natural folic acid is that it is unstable. Its folic acid content will change due to the influence of sunlight and food properties. Natural folic acid is easily lost in large quantities during the cooking process, so there are still some limitations to taking in enough folic acid through dietary supplements.

2. Synthetic folic acid

Synthetic folic acid is made from nitrobenzoic acid as the main raw material, which is then chlorinated and concentrated. It is processed through a series of procedures such as restoration and recombination. Synthetic folic acid is mainly extracted from the liquid soaked in animal livers, and then processed and synthesized. This form of folic acid is extremely pure and absorbable.

When is the best time to take folic acid?

Folic acid is more suitable for couples who are preparing to have a baby. Since 2007, the Chinese Nutrition Society has stipulated that women of childbearing age need to supplement 400 micrograms of folic acid every day during pregnancy preparation. Because some mothers find it difficult to determine the time of their pregnancy and are prone to miss the best time to supplement folic acid, experts recommend starting supplementation three months before pregnancy and continuing throughout the pregnancy if conditions permit.

Folic acid is not only for women of childbearing age, but expectant fathers should also take appropriate supplements during pregnancy preparation. Lack of folic acid in men can lead to low semen concentration, which can easily cause symptoms of abnormal chromosome separation and cause great harm to the fetus.

Side effects of taking too much folic acid

Although folic acid supplementation for pregnant women can help reduce the risk of congenital diseases in the fetus, it does not guarantee that the baby will not have neurological malformations, and long-term excessive intake can also have serious negative effects on the human body. Pregnant women should take folic acid under the guidance of a doctor. If they have given birth to a child with a neural tube defect, they should take it under the advice of a doctor.

In fact, folic acid itself has no toxic side effects. The side effects of folic acid mentioned in daily life mainly refer to the problem of overdose. As a vitamin that can be dissolved in water, it is fine if the amount of folic acid exceeds 20 times the minimum requirement of the human body. The excess folic acid will be excreted from the body in urine. However, taking too many folic acid tablets will still cause some harm to the body.

1. Damage to the nervous system

Most of folic acid is vitamin B9. Excessive intake of folic acid will mask the symptoms of VB12 deficiency in the human body, and in the long run it will cause damage to the human nervous system.

2. Prone to low birth weight babies

If pregnant women consume more than 350 mg of folic acid, it will affect the body's absorption of zinc, thereby delaying the growth and development of the fetus and increasing the possibility of low birth weight babies. Pass

3. Reduces Appetite

Excessive amounts of folic acid can also cause yellow urine, which can destroy the effects of anticonvulsant drugs. Some patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.