Should Drink Folic Acid Supplements?

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Folic acid or vitamin B12 is the additional nutrients needed for the body to maintain its nutritional intake so that it remains healthy. Not produced by itself in the body, folic acid intake can be obtained from natural food sources. However, in some people intake of food alone is not enough to meet daily nutritional needs, so they take folic acid supplements.

Who needs extra folic acid intake?

An example of this condition is pregnant women who need a daily dose of folic acid as much as 800 micrograms (mcg). This amount can not only be obtained from natural food sources, so it is also necessary additional intake of folic acid supplements. Women and men who are taking part in a pregnancy preparation program also require a daily intake of 400 mcg of folic acid.

The need for additional folic acid in women undergoing pregnancy preparation is needed to improve the quality of eggs and sperm, while in pregnant women additional folic acid intake is needed to prevent birth defects in the brain, spinal cord, and fetal spine during pregnancy.

Outside conditions such as pregnant women or men and women who are undergoing pregnancy preparation programs, the following is the elucidation of the required levels of folic acid according to age.
 Age                                          Dose
 Under 3 years              150 mcg, with a tolerance limit of 300 mcg
 Age 4-8 years              200 mcg, with a tolerance limit of 400 mcg
 Teenage                        Tolerance limit of 800 mcg

This happens when you consume excess folic acid

If folic acid is consumed beyond the tolerance limit of the body according to its age, the body will react and trigger the following:

• Feel the taste of metal taste in mouth.
• Behavioral changes such as irritability or hyperactivity.
• The body feels the symptoms of numbness. One of the effects of excess folic acid is vitamin B12 levels that enter the body can not be absorbed perfectly. If vitamin B12 is continually not absorbed, then the body will give symptoms of numbness with the initial symptoms of tingling.
• Hypertension. If the folic acid content increases in the blood and absorption high into the body, it can trigger an increase in blood pressure.

To avoid the effects of excess folic acid but the need remains in the body, you should rely on folic acid intake from natural food sources, not from supplements. The following are some recommendations of food sources containing folic acid.

• Food Source of Folic Acid Content
• Chicken heart 578 mcg per 100 gram
• Kindang koro 358 mcg per cup
• Asparagus 262 mcg per cup
• Spinach 194 mcg per cup
• Lentils 181 mcg per cup
• Egg yolk 145 mcg
• Peanuts 120 mcg per cup
• Avocado 110 mcg per cup
• Bit 107 mcg per cup
• Corn 76 mcg per cup
• Orange 74 mcg per cup
• Broccoli 63 mcg per cup
• Wheat bread 65 mcg
• Cabbage 43 mcg per cup
• Green beans 42 mcg per cup
• Papaya 38 mcg

Since folic acid is one of the necessary macronutrients to support health but can not be self-produced in the body, it is best to meet these nutritional requirements daily in accordance with the necessary doses-whether through natural food sources or with supplemental folic acid supplements. The content of folic acid in food sources and how much folic acid requirement for the body is described above can be your guide to avoid and excessive consumption of folic acid.

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