Folate is a crucial vitamin for women throughout their lives. During the child-bearing years, understanding its importance becomes essential. By incorporating folic acid into your diet, your body can produce and maintain new cells, laying the foundation for a healthy baby.
But folate's significance extends far beyond pregnancy. It plays a vital role in women's lifelong health by aiding in the production of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (Responsive neurostimulation), the body's genetic material, and supporting proper brain function and mental health. Moreover, adequate folate intake has been linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers and heart diseases.
Thankfully, folate-rich foods, including leafy greens, citrus fruits, and beans, are easy to incorporate into your diet. Whether through dietary choices or supplements, make sure sufficient folate levels are key for promoting long-term health and well-being.
Read on and take a deeper look at the importance of this vitamin:
Folic acid and folate are both forms of vitamin B9. But one is made by humans, and one naturally occurs in the foods, yet both are essential for the human body, here is the different between these two essential nutrients:
While both folic acid and folate contribute to meeting the body's vitamin B9 requirements, understanding the difference between them is important.
Folate deficiency experienced during this critical period of life can affect the future health of the individual and their offspring. The rapid physical changes in girls directly influence their nutritional needs. The growth spurt in adolescence, second only to that in the first year of life, creates increased demands for energy and nutrients. Nutritional status and physical growth depend on one another, so optimal nutrition is a requisite for achieving full growth potential.
Nutrition of adolescent girls is particularly important, but under-nutrition in adolescents frequently goes unnoticed. Adolescence is a time to prepare for the nutritional demands of pregnancy and lactation that girls may experience in the future. Under-nutrition negatively affects adolescent girls by:
Adequate folate in your diet is still important. Folate plays a pivotal role in tissue growth and cell function, and it works with vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and vitamin C to break down and create new proteins. Cellular regeneration is an ongoing process in the body; our skin layers, nails, and hair grow daily, which requires protein and DNA production.
At the time of pregnancy, the mom needs more folate because blood plasma volume increases, creating a demand for an increase in red blood cells to support the growth of the fetus. When folate levels are inadequate, it produces large, poorly formed red blood cells. This condition is called macrocytic anemia or vitamin-deficient anemia. To prevent this condition, folate is required to keep up with the production of red blood cells, which helps keep blood flow healthy for expecting mothers and their babies, too.
Additionally, folate helps to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) in fetus. NTDs affect the development and growth of an infant's brain and spinal cord. To prevent neural tube, brain, and spinal cord defects, getting adequate folate intake for pregnancy before and throughout is important. Further, to reduce the risk of premature births, women should start planning on taking a supplement that contains folate at least 12 months before planning to conceive.
Even before a baby is born, they need the essential vitamins and minerals for their well-being. A baby girl needs the boost of folate throughout her life. From being a fetus to conceiving one.
During childbearing, moms need an extra boost to nurture the baby with the essential amount of folate. Folate supports cell production, DNA synthesis, brain function, and mental health. Adequate folate intake can reduce the risk of health issues in infants. Incorporating folate-rich foods or supplements into the diet is crucial for long-term well-being.