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Pregnancy Articles
Prevent Birth Defects With B Vitamin Folic Acid
by Daniel Smith
In recent years, there has been a push from organizations like the March
of Dimes and the Centers for Disease Control urging women of childbearing
age to make sure they get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of folic
acid, also known as vitamin B9. Women who are actively trying to get
pregnant may want to consider a separate folic acid supplement. Folic acid
remains important throughout pregnancy and prenatal vitamins will provide a
good supply. Studies have shown that adequate levels of folic acid in
pregnant women can drastically lower the chances of their babies developing
neural tube defects. The neural tube is the part of an embryo and fetus that
is the core of the central nervous system, it later develops into the brain
and spinal cord.
Neural tube defects develop early in the first trimester, during the
first weeks of pregnancy. Many women do not yet know they are pregnant
during this time, so waiting until they find out they are pregnant to begin
taking folic acid will not have the desired effect. One of the more commonly
occurring neural tube defects is spina bifida, when babies are born with
part of their spinal cord exposed because the neural tube did not close
correctly in development.
Folic acid is one of the B complex of vitamins. It is present in many
foods that are part of an otherwise healthy diet, including green vegetables
like spinach, broccoli, and asparagus. It is also found in legumes like
black beans and lentils. Some foods, like breakfast cereals and some breads
and pastas, are fortified with vitamins, usually including folic acid. In
addition to including foods high in folic acid in your diet, it is a good
idea to take a vitamin supplement that is either folic acid alone, or a
multivitamin that contains folic acid. Generally, advice to take large
amounts of vitamins in diet or supplement form has to be tempered against
the fact that some vitamins in high levels can be toxic. This is not the
case, however, with folic acid. Folic acid can be taken in large amounts and
not cause toxicity.
Another plus to folic acid is that it is good for you, as well as your
developing baby. Both men and women benefit from folic acid, which helps
your body produce healthy red blood cells. Research has shown that folic
acid may be beneficial in preventing heart disease, stroke, and colon and
breast cancers.
About the Author
Daniel Smith writes about Vitamin
Books,Amino
Acids and Calcium
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Copyright 2008
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