Folic Acid (Vitamin B 9) (Systemic)

Brand Names : Folvite, Apo-Folic, Novo-Folacid, Vitamin B 9

Category

• Diagnostic aid, folate deficiency
• Nutritional supplement, vitamin

Description

Vitamins (VYE-ta-mins) are compounds that you must have for growth and health. They are needed in small amounts only and are usually available in the foods that you eat. Folic acid (FOE-lik AS-id)(vitamin B ₉ ) is necessary for strong blood.

Lack of folic acid may lead to anemia (weak blood). Your health care professional may treat this by prescribing folic acid for you.

Some conditions may increase your need for folic acid. These include:

• Alcoholism
• Anemia, hemolytic
• Diarrhea (continuing)
• Fever (prolonged)
• Hemodialysis
• Illness (prolonged)
• Intestinal diseases
• Liver disease
• Stress (continuing)
• Surgical removal of stomach

In addition, infants smaller than normal, breast-fed infants, or those receiving unfortified formulas (such as evaporated milk or goat's milk) may need additional folic acid.

Increased need for folic acid should be determined by your health care professional.

Some studies have found that folic acid taken by women before they become pregnant and during early pregnancy may reduce the chances of certain birth defects (neural tube defects).

Claims that folic acid and other B vitamins are effective for preventing mental problems have not been proven. Many of these treatments involve large and expensive amounts of vitamins.

Injectable folic acid is given by or under the direction of your health care professional. Another form of folic acid is available without a prescription.

Folic acid is available in the following dosage forms:

Oral
• Tablets (U.S. and Canada)

Parenteral
• Injection (U.S. and Canada)

Importance of Diet

Folic acid is found in various foods, including vegetables, especially green vegetables; potatoes; cereal and cereal products; fruits; and organ meats (for example, liver or kidney). It is best to eat fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible since they contain the most vitamins. Food processing may destroy some of the vitamins. For example, heat may reduce the amount of folic acid in foods.

Vitamins alone will not take the place of a good diet and will not provide energy. Your body also needs other substances found in food such as protein, minerals, carbohydrates, and fat. Vitamins themselves often cannot work without the presence of other foods.

The daily amount of folic acid needed is defined in several different ways.

For U.S. -
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy persons. RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person's age, sex, and physical condition (e.g., pregnancy).
• Daily Values (DVs) are used on food and dietary supplement labels to indicate the percent of the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that a serving provides. DV replaces the previous designation of United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDAs).

For Canada -
• Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) are used to determine the amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to provide adequate nutrition and lessen the risk of chronic disease.

Normal daily recommended intakes in micrograms (mcg) for folic acid are generally defined as follows:

Persons	U.S. (mcg)	Canada (mcg)
Infants and children Birth to 3 years of age	25-100	50-80
4 to 6 years of age	75-400	90
7 to 10 years of age	100-400	125-180
Adolescent and adult males	150-400	150-220
Adolescent and adult females	150-400	145-190
Pregnant females	400-800	445-475
Breast-feeding females	260-800	245-275

Brand Names

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S. -

• Folvite

In Canada -

• Apo-Folic
• Folvite
• Novo-Folacid

Generic name product may be available in the U.S. and Canada.

Another commonly used name is Vitamin B ₉ .