Why do we need Folic Acid?

Many of us may not have even heard of the term Folic Acid. But just like you, I too got asked that question many times when I was still a kid. “Why do we need Folic Acid?” This is a very good question to ask, since this substance is actually very important for women, especially to start their child bearing years.

When a woman is pregnant, her body will be producing a lot of folic acid to help with the development of the baby inside her womb. The question then becomes, “How will women and babies benefit from this?” Well the answer is simple – we need folic acid to make sure that the child is properly developed. There are a lot of benefits to getting the right amount of this substance every day, especially during pregnancy.

Many studies have been conducted to help answer the question, “What does a pregnant woman need to know about Folic Acid?” These studies show that pregnant women who took the proper amount of folic acid in their diet were less likely to suffer from birth defects such as spina bifida and cerebral palsy. Furthermore, women who took the supplement during their pregnancy had stronger babies, despite being born prematurely.

However, many people believe that Folic Acid should only be offered to pregnant women. Why? The reason is simple – it is not easy for the fetus to absorb the needed amounts of the substance if there is not sufficient supply coming from the mother’s body. Also, if a pregnant woman already takes antibiotics, this could reduce the amount of folic acid in her system. But these concerns can be easily addressed with dietary supplements.

In fact, women can have the recommended amount of folic acid through various food sources such as green leafy vegetables, whole grain foods, beans, lentils, and even certain fruits and vegetables. If a woman is looking for a safe yet effective way to get the folic acid she needs, a supplement may be a good option. In addition, many food and health stores carry a line of prenatal supplements that are specially formulated for new mothers-to-be. Since all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are already included, this makes it easy to meet a woman’s daily requirements of folic acid without too many worries about what would happen if she were not to take a supplement.

So, why do we need folic acid? If there was no such fortification in our food, we would need to make sure that we are getting enough of it from our foods. It is one of the safest and most natural forms of nutrition out there. There is very little risk involved with taking it. In fact, many physicians believe that the benefits of folic acid to women are still being studied, but it has certainly provided health benefits to some of our population and most likely it will continue to provide them for the future.