Folic Acid: Now Revisited !!

Did you ever have tongue inflammation, dry lips or has the corners of your mouth cracked ever?? Guess what, its a sign of B vitamin deficiency.

I am sure most of us when we hear the word “VITAMINS” we are familiar with a few like Vitamin C, Vitamin A,Vitamin D and there are also other ones like Folic Acid!

Folic acid or folate is Vitamin B that helps with the productions and maintenance of newer cells including red blood cells. Its a member of the B Family and one of the dozens of vitamins and minerals essential to life. Folic acid allows the body to perform many essential functions including nucleotide biosynthesis in cells, DNA synthesis and repair, red blood cell creation, and prevention of anemia.

Folic acid is an essential nutrient. Its presence in adequate amounts is vital to growth and reproduction of cells, particularly neural cells. Because the normal diet doesn’t contain many good sources of folic acid, its often prescribed as a supplement by Medical doctors. Fortunately there are many foods naturally rich in folic acid and let me recommend some for your careful considerations. As always try going organic…

Dark Leafy Greens

It should come as no surprise that one of the planet’s healthiest foods is also one of the highest in folate. For an immediate boost in folic acid, consider adding more spinach, kale, turnip greens and romaine lettuce into your daily diet. Just one large plate of these delicious leafy greens can provide you with almost all of your daily needs for folic acid.

Broccoli
Eating just one cup of broccoli will provide you with approximately 24% of your daily folic acid needs, not to mention a whole host of other important nutrients.

Fruits
Papaya are an especially rich source of folic acid. One papaya holds about 115 mcg, and a large orange may contain close to 50 mcg of folate or even more. Other folate-rich fruits include papaya, grapefruit, grapes, banana, cantaloupe and strawberries.

Pulses and Lentils
Beans and pulses especially high in folic acid include pinto beans, lima beans, green peas, black-eyed peas and kidney beans. A small bowl of any type of lentils will give you the majority of your recommended daily amounts for folate. A cup of kidney beans has approx. 229 mcg of folate and Green peas contain approx. 101mcg of folate.

Avocado

Not only are avocados one of the best foods with folic acid, but it’s also an excellent source of fatty acids, vitamin K and dietary fiber. This buttery avocado holds up to 90mcg of folate per cup, which accounts for approximately 22% of your daily needs.

Okra
Okra a.k.a ladies finger has the distinct ability to simultaneously offer vitamins and minerals while cleansing the entire digestive tract from toxic build-up. When it comes to folate, Okra is a great source. Just one cup of cooked okra will give you approximately 37 mcg of folic acid.

Seeds and Nuts
Nuts are also very high in folic acid, with  flax seeds topping the chart with about 54mcg of folate in just 2tbsp followed by both peanuts(88 mcg of folate) and almonds(46 mcg of folate).

Vegetables

Extremely popular vegetables like celery and carrots are very rich sources for folic acid. One cup of raw carrots will give you almost 5% of your daily recommended needs for folic acid. One cup of raw celery will give you approximately 34 mcg of folate.

TRIVIA

  • Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is one of the families of eight water-soluble B-complex vitamins.
  • Folic acid helps the body to make RNA and DNA, the body’s genetic material that contains all the code for new cells.
  • folic acid should be taken during the first trimester as it helps in the brain development of the baby.
  • Low Folic Acid has also been connected to the development of some cancers, especially colon cancer.
  • Folic acid, along with vitamin B6, B12 and betaine, can contribute to lowering cholesterol and the incidence of plaque in the arteries.
  • Folic Acid also aids in the healing of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Folic acid deficiency can cause  forgetfulness, and mental sluggishness.
  • Folic acid may increase sperm count in infertile men

There are a number of reasons it’s important to get adequate amounts of folic acid in your diet, most importantly for cellular growth and regeneration. Eat healthy and Bewell Informed ….

BeWell,
Vivek