Does taking folic acid for a year have any effect?

Many people take folic acid because they are worried about the abnormal physical development of their baby. Generally, no one will deliberately supplement their body with folic acid in their daily life. In fact, we absorb folic acid through our diet in our daily life. These folic acids are enough in the body. It is only because the body needs more nutrition during pregnancy that we will deliberately supplement folic acid. What are the main effects of long-term use of folic acid? This is a question that many people are concerned about.

What is the role of folic acid

What is the function of folic acid? Folic acid is an indispensable nutrient for fetal development. Pregnant mothers can prevent anemia in pregnant women by supplementing folic acid in advance, and it can also reduce the occurrence of preeclampsia in late pregnancy. In addition, taking folic acid can reduce the probability of congenital diseases in babies. Folic acid is very effective and can be supplemented through diet or by taking folic acid tablets.

The main functions of folic acid are:

1. Prevent anemia in pregnant women: The body of a pregnant woman needs folic acid to produce normal red blood cells. The survey shows that the prevalence of anemia among Chinese women of childbearing age is 20.6%. Insufficient folic acid intake may also cause anemia in pregnant women.

2. Prevent congenital malformations in babies: Reduce the risk of birth defects in babies. Taking folic acid tablets can prevent birth defects such as congenital heart disease in the fetus.

3. Prevent neural tube defects: Neural tube defects are common congenital malformations in newborns in China. If women take the recommended daily dose of folic acid at least one month before conception and during the first three months of pregnancy, they can reduce the risk of neural tube defects in their baby by 50%-70%.

4. Promote placental development: It affects the basic structure of DNA and cells. Therefore, getting enough folic acid is particularly important for the rapidly growing placenta and baby.

5. Preventing preeclampsia in pregnant women: Taking multivitamins containing folic acid can reduce the risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women.

What are the side effects of folic acid?

Generally speaking, folic acid has no side effects, but it can cause side effects if taken in excess. Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin and generally will not cause poisoning even if it exceeds the minimum requirement for adults by 20 times. Any excess folic acid is excreted in the urine. However, folic acid can be toxic to humans if taken in large doses. At present, women before and during pregnancy generally only need to take 400 micrograms per day. The specific dosage should be based on the instructions of various folic acid tablets.

Long-term and excessive use of folic acid may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia, nausea, abdominal distension, and yellow urine. Oral folic acid can quickly improve megaloblastic anemia, but it cannot prevent the progression of neurological damage caused by vitamin deficiency. If folic acid is still taken in large doses, the vitamin content in the serum can be further reduced, which will cause the neurological damage to develop in an irreversible direction.