Folic acid
Folic acid is a B vitamin that is essential for the synthesis of red blood cells, therefore, a dietary deficiency or a related digestive-metabolic defect can cause anemia.
Folic acid, or rather folate, are water-soluble vitamins whose biologically active form is represented by tetrahydrofolic acid (THF).
Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin required for all DNA synthesis, repair reactions, and other important biochemical reactions, especially when intense periods of cell division are involved in rapid growth. For this reason, both children and adults need folic acid to produce red blood cells normally and prevent forms of anemia.
The recommended intake of folic acid is 200 μg/day, which doubles for pregnant women, in order to prevent neural complications in the newborn.
Folic acid deficiency anemia
Anemia is one of the reflex complications attributable to the reduced metabolic function of folic acid and/or vit. B12. Such a condition can arise for several reasons:
Dietary deficiency of folic acid: folic acid is contained in both offal and green leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, legumes and eggs. Its presence is scarce in fruit and milk . It is true that it is a heat-sensitive vitamin, therefore, it is deducible that its integrity is lost with the cooking of food. Therefore, the intakes deriving from cooked offal or stewed legumes should not be fully considered, while folates deriving from raw vegetables should be more integral; for this reason to ensure the minimum amount of folate and avoid the onset of anemia, it is advisable to consume raw foods of vegetable origin daily.
Alteration of folic acid absorption: This is usually rare but frequent in patients who undergo surgical resections of one or more parts of the digestive tract, who often experience anemia.
Use of drugs that hinder the metabolism of folic acid: certain molecules such as methotrexate, barbiturates and contraceptives are responsible for the metabolic alteration involving folic acid. In the case of such drug therapy, must be paid more attention to the nutritional intake of folate in order to avoid the onset of anemia.
Symptoms
The symptoms of anemia are similiar to vitamin b12 deficiency:
Fatigue
Malaise
Generalized weakness
Pale skin
Cold hands and feet
Dizziness
Reduced immunity
Shortness of breath