What Is Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)?

Folic acid, or folate, is the chemical name for a vitamin also known as vitamin B9 or vitamin M, which doctors prescribe for anemia.

Folic acid is one of the eight vitamins in the vitamin-B complex.

Like all B vitamins, folic acid plays important role in maintaining the health of your nervous system and helping you process fats and carbohydrates.  

Folic Acid in Foods

Certain cereals, breads, and leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, are high in folic acid.

Other good sources of folic acid include rice, pasta, and citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, lemons, and oranges.

Folic Acid Deficiency

Folic acid plays an important role in developing the spine and nervous system of a developing a baby before birth.

A woman who consumes less than 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid a day is more likely to bear a child with a brain, spine, or spinal cord defect, or a neural tube defect, than a woman who gets more.

Most daily prenatal vitamins contain 800 to 1,000 mcg of folic acid.

Folic Acid and Anemia

Lack of folic acid in your diet can cause anemia, or not enough red blood cells for good health.

Even if you are consuming enough folic acid, taking certain drugs can deplete it. These drugs include:

• Methotrexate (Trexall, Rheumatrex)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or diclofenac
• Many antibiotics
• Diuretics or water pills
• Certain ulcer medications
• Exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon)

Folic Acid and Hair Growth

Since folic acid, like all B vitamins, is important for the growth of the cells that form hair, skin, and nails, having adequate levels of folic acid in your body may improve growth of these tissues.

Some data suggests that correcting folic acid levels might help reverse certain types of hair loss.

Many vitamins for supporting hair, skin, and nail growth contain folic acid.

Folic Acid Warnings

Please talk to your doctor before taking folic acid if you:

• Have anemia or think that you might be anemic
• Are allergic to folic acid or any component found in the supplement you're considering taking

Pregnancy and Folic acid

Folic acid has different safety ratings for pregnancy, depending on the dose you are taking.

If you're taking a folic acid in the amount recommended for your age and condition, the supplement is safe to take in pregnancy because it doesn't cause any birth defects.

However, if you're taking a higher amount of folic acid than is usually recommended for your age and condition, the supplement is not safe to take during pregnancy.

Folic acid is safe to take while you are breastfeeding.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) Side Effects

 

Although people taking folic acid generally don't notice any side effects, some may experience these complaints while taking folic acid:

• Nausea
• Gas or bloating
• Poor  appetite
• Funny taste in your mouth
• Trouble sleeping
• Feeling depressed or overly excited

Rare Side Effects of Folic Acid

Taking extremely high levels of folic acid may increase your risk of developing cancer of the colon or rectum.