10 Reason Why Our Diet Should be High in Folic Acid

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Folic acid is widely known to help prevent birth defects, but it’s not just for pregnant women. Folic Acid, also known as folate or Vitamin B9, has multiple health benefits for women and men of all ages. Folic Acid is found in foods such as leafy greens, pastas, beans and more. According to Men’s Fitness, folic acid helps the body break down, create and use new proteins as well as form new blood cells and create new DNA.

Studies have shown that folic acid may help prevent heart disease, depression, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, type-2 diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.

10 Hidden Facts You Didn’t Know About Folic Acid

1: Research has shown that if women who could become pregnant were to take a multivitamin with folic acid, the risk of neural tube defects like Spina Bifida could be reduced by up to 70%

2: Women who could become pregnant should take 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid through a vitamin.

3: FOLIC ACID, also known as folate, is continuing to show tremendous benefits in a wide variety of conditions from the prevention of cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke), to Alzheimer’s disease, and some forms of cancer

4: Folic acid’s abilities help the body metabolize and eliminate homocysteine-Homocysteine is now considered as important (perhaps more important) to control as cholesterol

5: Folic acid works with 3 other nutrients to lower homocysteine levels; these include Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and trimethylglycine, also known as betaine

6: Be sure to supplement with zinc, magnesium, and folic acid along with riboflavin and pyrodoxine to help metabolize the Omega 3 fatty acids

7: If you have family history of Parkinson’s, Alzheimers or prostate cancer-make sure your establish a consistent intake of folic acid

8: Don’t exceed 1,000 mcg of folic acid per day — too much could lead to nerve damage or vitamin B12 deficiency

9: Studies show that use of folic acid for a prolonged period, especially in those already showing symptoms of memory loss, help retain memory and information processing capabilities

10: Good Sources of Folate: Many pastas, breads, cereals, grains, and fruit juices produced in the U.S. are fortified with folic acid.

 

Foods That Are High in Folic Acid

Broccoli

Not only is broccoli one of the best detox foods you can eat, it’s also a great source for folic acid. 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. We recommend eating organic broccoli raw or lightly steamed.

Beans, Peas and Lentils

Beans and peas 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 of folate. Here is a short list of which beans have the most folic acid.

Corn

You probably have a can of corn in your pantry right now. Eat it up! This popular vegetable contains plenty of folate. Just one cup of cooked corn will give you approximately 76 mcg of folic acid, accounting for almost 20% of your daily needs. I recommend avoiding canned veggies and opting for fresh and organic.

Carrots

Carrots are another extremely popular vegetable that is probably in your home right now. Just one cup of raw carrots will give you almost 5% of your daily recommended needs for folic acid. Eat baby carrots as a snack or add them to your salads for a folate boost!

 

Reference:

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Alijuina Herw
Alijuina Herw is a passionate, tea-loving, nutritionist, herbalist , who believes in the healing power of nature. She help people find out what their goals are, then coach them to use their own resources to improve their health and happiness. She like to see her as a very holistic nutritionist, herbalist that you can trust for the best advice and service for your health.