Читать книгу Informed Choices in Motherhood - Fiona Lee - Страница 31

Folate is a general term for a group of water-soluble B vitamins known as B9. Folic acid, on the other hand, is a synthetic compound used in dietary supplements and fortified foods. It wasn’t until 1943 that humans were exposed to folic acid through the introduction of food fortification.

Folate has some important functions in the body. It breaks down, builds and uses proteins. It is used in red blood cell production, DNA synthesis and much more. A lack of folate can result in anemia, loss of appetite and poor immune function. A lack of it in pregnancy can lead to neural tube defects including spina bifida, low birth weight or prematurity.

Synthetic folic acid may seem like the perfect way to make sure people get enough folate. This was the very reason it was added to foods like breads and cereals; however this is the problem: The body doesn’t actually use folic acid. It needs to be broken down first into methylfolate. Synthetic folic acid therefore is much more difficult for the body to break down and metabolize than naturally occurring folate.³⁴ Having regular doses of folic acid added to your diet when pregnant means your body will constantly be having to metabolize it to convert it into methylfolate. This overload creates problems. It prevents the body from getting the real folate it needs, causing ironically, a folate deficiency. The process of having to convert a synthetic supplement results in unmetabolized folic acid being left over in the body which takes up the receptor sites where folate is needed.