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FOLIC ACID

9th September, 2024

Folic Acid

Source: DowntoEarth

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

According to Taiwan-based research organisation World Vegetable Centre, water spinach is a vital source of folic acid. 

Details

What is folic acid?

  • Folic acid (vitamin B9) is a B vitamin supplement that may be used to prevent and treat  low blood levels of folate that can cause megaloblastic anemia. 
  • Folic acid may also be used to control high levels of homocysteine, prevent serious birth defects in pregnant women.
  • Vitamin B9 plays a crucial role in healthy red blood cell production and is also vital for cell growth, repair, and DNA synthesis.
  • Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body, and folate deficiency can lead to a type of anemia called folate-deficiency anemia.

Folate vs folic acid

  • Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 found in various foods. 
  • Folic acid is the man-made form of vitamin B9 created in a laboratory that is added to fortified foods or used as a supplement. 
  • Folic acid is more stable and easier to absorb than naturally occurring folate in food. 
  • When you take folic acid, your body turns it into folate.

Water Spinach

  • It is known as kalmi saag in West Bengal, naari ka saag in Uttar Pradesh, nalichi-bhaji in Marathi and sarkaraivalli in Tamil.
  • Scientific name: Ipomoea aquatica
  • It is a green leafy vegetable belonging to the family Convolvulaceae, identifiable by its trumpet-shaped flowers.
  • Native to tropics and subtropics, this semi-aquatic perennial plant is believed to have been the first domesticated in Southeast Asia. 
  • The plant is a source of beta carotene, calcium, vitamin E and iron. And ascorbic acid.
  • In southeast Asian nations like Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, the plant is mostly grown commercially, while in the United States and India, it grows in the wild as weed. 
  • In India, it grows along the paddy fields, ponds and rivers, and is available around the monsoon season in July and August. 
  • The plant is relatively easy to grow because it requires little care and flourishes naturally in waterways. 
  • It has to be ensured that the water used is not saline or stagnant. 
  • Harvesting of water spinach can start two to three months after planting.

Important Vitamins

Vitamin

Common Name

Solubility

Sources

Deficiency Disease

Vitamin A

Retinol

Fat-soluble

Carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, liver

Night blindness, keratomalacia

Vitamin B1

Thiamine

Water-soluble

Whole grains, pork, fish, nuts, peas

Beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Vitamin B2

Riboflavin

Water-soluble

Eggs, lean meats, dairy products, green vegetables

Ariboflavinosis (cracked lips, sore throat)

Vitamin B3

Niacin

Water-soluble

Meat, fish, poultry, whole grains, legumes

Pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia)

Vitamin B6

Pyridoxine

Water-soluble

Fish, liver, potatoes, non-citrus fruits

Anemia, peripheral neuropathy

Vitamin B7

Biotin

Water-soluble

Eggs, nuts, whole grains, soybeans

Hair loss, dermatitis

Vitamin B9

Folic Acid

Water-soluble

Leafy greens, legumes, seeds, liver

Megaloblastic anemia, birth defects (neural tube)

Vitamin B12

Cobalamin

Water-soluble

Meat, fish, dairy products, eggs

Pernicious anemia, neurological issues

Vitamin C

Ascorbic Acid

Water-soluble

Citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers

Scurvy (bleeding gums, joint pain)

Vitamin D

Calciferol

Fat-soluble

Sunlight, fortified milk, fatty fish

Rickets (children), osteomalacia (adults)

Vitamin E

Tocopherol

Fat-soluble

Nuts, seeds, spinach, vegetable oils

Hemolytic anemia, nerve damage

Vitamin K

Phylloquinone

Fat-soluble

Leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Bleeding disorders due to impaired clotting

Sources: DowntoEarth


PRACTICE QUESTION

Q:  Consider the following diseases:

  1. Megaloblastic anemia 
  2. Pernicious anemia 
  3. Osteomalacia

Which of the above diseases are caused by Vitamin B deficiency?

A. 1 and 2

B. 2 and 3

C. None

D. 1, 2 and 3


Answer: A

Explanation:

Megaloblastic anemia is most often due to hypovitaminosis, specifically vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and folate deficiencies, which are necessary for the synthesis of DNA.

Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition that happens when your immune system produces antibodies that attack cells in the mucosal lining of your stomach and nerve cells. Your immune system's response affects your body's ability to absorb vitamin B12.

Osteomalacia describes a disorder of “bone softening” in adults that is usually due to prolonged deficiency of vitamin D. This deficiency results in abnormal osteoid mineralization. In contrast, rickets results from deficient mineralization at the cartilage of growth plates in children.

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