Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) - Vitamins

Vitamin B ₉ (Folic Acid)

Folic acid is an acid which helps promote normal red blood cell formation. It acts as a co-enzyme for normal DNA synthesis and functions as part of a co-enzyme in amino acid and nucleoprotein synthesis. It also maintains nervous system integrity and intestinal tract functions. In pregnant mothers, vitamin B ₉ helps regulate embryonic and fetal development of nerve cells.

Most people obtain sufficient amounts of folic acid in their daily diet. Natural sources include barley, beans, brewer's yeast, calves' liver, fruits, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), green and leafy vegetables, lentils, orange juice, oranges, peas, rice, soybeans, sprouts, wheat, and wheat germ.

Folic acid deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world. Unlike vitamin B ₁₂ , the body does not maintain a large surplus of folic acid; folic acid stores in the liver and kidneys will sustain the body for only one to two months.

Alcoholics frequently are deficient in B ₉ because alcohol impairs folic acid absorption, disrupts folic acid metabolism, and causes the body to excrete folic acid. In addition to alcohol, anticancer drugs, drugs for epilepsy, and oral contraceptives also cause a folic acid deficiency.

Folic acid deficiency is common in pregnant women. Vitamin B ₉ is vital to cell reproduction within the fetus. Without a constant source of vitamin B ₉ for the fetus, birth defects will result. In November 1992, the FDA recommended that food, preferably enriched flour, be fortified with folic acid to prevent neural tube defect, a common birth defect that occurs when the spinal column fails to close completely during the first six weeks of pregnancy.

Folic acid deficiencies are frequently found in patients with chronic diarrhea, coeliac disease, and Crohn's disease. Vitamin B ₉ deficiency may result in anemia, depression, and a swollen, red tongue.

Vitamin B ₉ and Adenoma.     A high dietary folate intake also protects against colorectal adenoma, a pre-cancerous condition that can lead to colon cancer, according to Alternative Medicine: What Works . Although cervical cancer appears to be caused by a sexually transmitted virus, folate deficiency also appears to be a factor.

Vitamin B ₉ and Cervical Dysplasia.     Folic acid supplementation (10 mg per day) has been successfully used to regress precancerous cells in patients with cervical dysplasia. Cervical dysplasia is an abnormal condition of the cells of the cervix, which is usually regarded as a precancerous lesion. When treated with folic acid, the regression-to-normal rate was observed to be 20% in one study and 100% in another, according to the January 1985 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .

Vitamin B ₉ and Infertility.      Alternative Medicine: What Works cites a small controlled study which showed that folinic acid, a type of folate, has been used successfully to treat a type of male infertility called round cell idiopathic syndrome.

Vitamin B ₉ and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).     Folic acid supplementation is also important for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As appropriate, nutritional supplements are utilized to correct deficiencies, normalize the inflammatory process, and promote healing of the damaged mucosa. Botanical medicines are also used to promote healing and normalize the intestinal flora.

Vitamin B ₉ and Pregnancy.     Folic acid, which is known to lower homocysteine levels, dramatically lowers the rate of neural tube defects, although it must be taken very early in pregnancy to be effective. Vitamin B ₁₂ may also help to lower the risk of neural tube defects.

Alternative Medicine: What Works cites a study in which elevated homocysteine levels were found in 21% of women with recurrent, unexplained miscarriages. Above-normal homocysteine levels were also found in mothers whose babies were born with neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly (in which the baby is born missing most of its brain.)

Unfortunately, few Americans consume enough fresh fruits and vegetables, the primary dietary source of folic acid. One study cited by Fugh-Berman found that 13–15% of American women 20–44 years of age showed biochemical evidence of folate deficiency.

Vitamin B ₉ and Psychological Disorders.     Folic acid deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in people with psychological disorders. In studies of psychiatric patients, as many as 30% have been shown to be deficient in folic acid, and in one study 67% of geriatric patients admitted to a psychiatric ward were vitamin B ₉ deficient. According to the May 1973 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, patients with organic psychosis, endogenous depression, and schizophrenia who were given vitamin B ₉ supplements fared much better in most clinical trials than control subjects.

Vitamin B ₉ and Gum Disease.     Studies have shown that folic acid, administered either topically or internally, produces significant reduction of gingival inflammation (gum disease) by binding toxins secreted by plaques. The use of folate mouthwash is particularly recommended for pregnant women, oral contraceptive users, those using antifolate drugs (e.g., phenytoinand methotrexate), and people suffering from other conditions associated with an exaggerated gingival inflammatory response.