Vitamin B9 (also referred to as folic acid) is a B-complex vitamin. It was officially discovered by Henry K. Mitchell in 1941 when he isolated a substance in foods that could help prevent anemia (a lower than average number of red blood cells) and named it folic acid. The main role of B9 is to help the body make DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) which both carry important genetic information that is essential for the formation of new cells. However, it does a lot more than this. In the following article I am going to help you learn a little more about vitamin B9 by discussing four things you may not know about this vital vitamin.
1) IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTHY GROWTH:- As I mentioned above vitamin B9 plays a key role in the formation of DNA and RNA. Both of these contain genetic information which is used as a basis for new cell production. Folic acid also helps the body produce red blood cells to replace those that are destroyed on a daily basis, hence the reason its discovery was linked to the prevention of anemia. Therefore, B9 is essential for healthy growth because without it your body could not manufacture new cells effectively.
2) GREENS ARE THE BEST SOURCE:- Green, leafy vegetables are the by far the best dietary source of vitamin B9. Broccoli, green beans and spinach are all good choices for getting your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of folic acid which is 0.2mg in men and women and 0.4mg in pregnant women. However, if you really cannot face the prospect of eating your greens then oranges and orange juice contain lower levels of B9.
3) THERE ARE NUMEROUS FACTORS THAT CAN CAUSE A DEFICIENCY:- Not eating enough vitamin B9 rich foods is just one reason that you may become deficient in this vitamin. Burn victims, cancer patients and pregnant women all require higher than normal levels of folic acid and so can become deficient even when they are getting the RDA. Certain medications also interfere with B9 absorption and can lead to a deficiency. Therefore, if you are affected by one of the above factors you may want to consider supplementation so that you do not become deficient.
4) YOU CAN OVERDOSE ON B9:- It is possible to get too much folic acid although this is normally the result of excessive supplementation. If you do overdose on B9 it can potentially mask a vitamin B12 deficiency. It can also stop certain medications from working properly. Furthermore, it can affect you physically leading to skin problems, sleep problems and stomach pain. Therefore, whilst vitamin B9 supplementation may be a necessity just make sure you do not overdo it.
As you can see there is a lot more to vitamin B9 than just producing DNA and RNA. I hope this article has given you a better understanding of folic acid and helped you learn something new.