Folic acid

Folic acid (also known as vitamin B 9 , vitamin B c or folacin ) and folate (the form naturally occurring in the body), as well as pteroyl- L-glutamic acid , pteroyl- L-glutamate , and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B 9 . Folic acid is itself not biologically active, but its biological importance is due to tetrahydrofolate and other derivatives after its conversion to dihydrofolic acid in the liver. Vitamin B 9 (folic acid and folate inclusive) is essential to numerous bodily functions . The human body needs folate to synthesize DNA, repair DNA, and methylate DNA as well as to act as a cofactor in biological reactions involving folate. It is especially important in aiding rapid cell division and growth , such as in infancy and pregnancy. Children and adults both require folic acid to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anemia . Folate and folic acid derive their names from the Latin word folium (which means leaf ). Leafy vegetables are a principal source, although in Western diets fortified cereals and bread may be a larger dietary source. A lack of dietary folic acid leads to folate deficiency , which is uncommon in normal Western diets. A complete lack of dietary folate takes months before deficiency develops as normal individuals have about 500–20,000 µg DNA synthesis and repair are impaired and this could lead to cancer development.

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