Does folic acid make you fat? Let's take stock of this issue that afflicts so many women
By reading this article you will find out all about folic acid and above all about its ability to make women who take it gain weight. Folic acid is a really precious substance for the female body, for many women looking for a pregnancy it is an indispensable ally. If your dream is to become a mother soon, watch this video and learn how to count your fertile days, without mistakes to increase your chances of conceiving quickly!
Does folic acid make you fat? Discovering all the characteristics of vitamin B9
Folic acid is also called folin, or vitamin B9. It is a very important vitamin for our body because it promotes the synthesis of DNA and the production of new cells. The intake of folic acid is usually recommended in anticipation of a pregnancy and also in all those cases in which there is a "vitamin deficiency anemia. Vitamins are essential rooms for the proper functioning of our body because they regulate important functions such as metabolism. When it comes to vitamins, it is necessary to distinguish water-soluble vitamins, to be taken every day with food, and fat-soluble vitamins that accumulate in the liver and are absorbed by our body. Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin and for this reason it must never be missing from your diet. The daily requirement of folic acid is very low.
Folic acid helps you to produce new cells. In our human body, the cells that reproduce most frequently are blood cells, red blood cells, those of the skin and also nails, hair, hair.
Even the cells of the embryo and the fetus reproduce quickly in the nine months of pregnancy, in fact it starts from a single cell (the egg cell fertilized by a sperm) and after nine months of waiting, the child is already formed by thousands of billions of cells. It is evident that folic acid is essential for pregnant women and that it contributes significantly to the development of the fetus. Vitamin B9, together with B12, helps to cure anemia.
See also: The problems of pregnancy: daily difficulties of a pregnant woman according to Line Severinsen
Does folic acid make you fat or not? How to take it regularly and in which foods it is found
Folic acid does not accumulate and must be taken with the diet. If you are wondering which foods vitamin B9 can be found in, think of its name. Folic comes from the Latin, leaf and it is certainly not a coincidence. Folic acid found in green leafy vegetables, especially when eaten fresh and raw! Think that with boiling you also lose 90% of folic acid. Other foods that contain folic acid are legumes, oranges, kiwis, lemons and all dried fruit. Other foods rich in folic acid but of animal origin are liver, offal, cheeses and eggs. The normal requirement of folic acid is 0.4 milligrams per day, a higher dose is required for a pregnant or lactating woman, at least 0.5 / 0.6 milligrams.
Usually a normal diet provides all the folic acid you need, but to make sure you are getting the right amount you can use folic acid in the form of supplements. If you are thinking of becoming pregnant, it is very important to take folic acid, because a deficiency of vitamin B9 at this precise moment could compromise the normal evolution of the embryo and the development of the spinal cord and the vertebral column. Also in pregnancy it is useful in addition to a healthy and balanced diet, to opt for a folic acid supplement that prevents various malformations of the fetus. Very often women who are pregnant are also given an iron supplement, for this reason there are supplements in the pharmacy that combine these two substances so important in pregnancy, folic acid and iron. The ideal is to take folic acid at least one month before the pregnancy begins and continue for the first trimester so that the folic acid brings all the benefits to the fetus and new mother.
Does folic acid make you fat? High and low dose side effects
Have you ever heard of "fortified foods"? There are foods rich in folic acid on the market, such as breakfast cereals, biscuits, rusks, fruit juices with the addition of folic acid. Some scientific theories advise against these foods (like supplements) because they could cause an excess of folic acid. Such a large dose of folic acid could promote the development of precancerous cells. There are controversial theories on this aspect. It is good to remember that an excess of folic acid occurs very rarely. Vitamin B9 overdose can cause tremors, nervousness, allergic reactions and rapid heartbeat. A very high dosage (which is also rare) causes kidney problems. On the other hand, when the folic acid in our body is too low there is a lack of folic acid. This occurs in alcoholics, diabetics, celiacs and even in those who follow an unbalanced diet.
Folic acid deficiency leads to anemia with reduced red blood cells, apathy, fatigue, loss of appetite, depression and can also lead to memory disturbances, sleep disturbances and ulcerations of the oral mucosa. When folic acid deficiency occurs in childhood , this can cause the child to stunted in growth.
Do you still believe that folic acid makes you fat? Let's debunk the myths about vitamin B9
Folic acid is often considered by people to be a valid remedy for hair loss because, as we have seen, it helps hair regeneration. Here we need to make a first important clarification: a lack of folic acid can make hair fragile, but taking vitamin B9 consistently is not necessarily guaranteed to make hair grow ... and above all regrow. Today there is much talk of vitamin supplements, perhaps too much and many legends circulate about these supplements, partly due to advertising, partly to word of mouth. We often talk about theories without scientific basis: this does not mean, however, that vitamin supplements are harmful, quite the contrary! What there is no doubt about is that there are many false myths about vitamins and also folic acid. Like that in menopause the female body needs a massive amount of folic acid, which is absolutely not true! Or like the fact that folic acid can help a woman get pregnant, folic acid is valuable if she gets pregnant but it doesn't help to get pregnant! Folic acid does not even make you fat as many believe. So if you are refrained from taking folic acid because you are afraid of gaining weight, don't worry, folic acid will not make you gain extra pounds! Normally the folic acid you take with food is more than enough: remember that you should only resort to a supplement if you are trying to become pregnant or if you have vitamin B9 deficiency anemia!
