What is folate acid

This depends on your age, diet and any other health conditions you may have. If you're taking methotrexate The usual dose for adults and children is 5mg once a week, on a different day of the week to your methotrexate. Some people take 1mg to 5mg once a day, apart from the day when they have their methotrexate.

How to take it You can take folic acid with or without food. Swallow the tablets whole with a drink. Will my dose go up or down? Usually your dose will stay the same. What if I forget to take it? If you stop taking your folic acid: in pregnancy - the risk of your baby having neural tube defects may increase for folate deficiency anaemia - your symptoms may get worse or new symptoms may appear to reduce the side effects of methotrexate - you'll be more likely to get side effects from methotrexate If you forget to take folic acid: once a day - take your missed dose as soon as you remember.

If it's nearly time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and just take your next dose as normal. If you remember on the day you take your methotrexate, wait a day and take your missed dose the following day. After this, go back to taking your weekly dose on your usual day. Never take 2 doses to make up for a forgotten one. If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. What if I take too much?

Folic acid is generally very safe. Taking too much is unlikely to harm you or your child. If you're worried, speak to your pharmacist or doctor. Common side effects Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if these side effects bother you or do not go away: feeling sick nausea - but if you're pregnant, this is more likely to be morning sickness loss of appetite bloating or wind Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, folic acid can cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis.

What to do about: feeling sick - take folic acid with, or just after, a meal or snack to ease feelings of sickness. If you're pregnant, it could be morning sickness that's making you feel sick. If it helps, eat smaller meals more often than usual. Snack when you're hungry. Have nutritious snacks that are high in calories and protein, such as dried fruit and nuts. If the symptoms get worse, contact your doctor straight away. Usually, folic acid is safe to take during pregnancy.

Folic acid and breastfeeding Folic acid is safe to take while you're breastfeeding. But if your baby is premature or has health problems, check with your doctor first.

Important Tell your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, already pregnant or breastfeeding. There are some medicines that may interfere with how folic acid works. Folic acid can also affect the way other medicines work. Tell your doctor if you're taking these medicines before you start taking folic acid: methotrexate, a medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and some types of cancer phenytoin, fosphenytoin, phenobarbital or primidone, medicines used to treat epilepsy fluorouracil, capecitabine, raltitrexed or tegafur, medicines used to treat some types of cancer antibiotics, medicines used to treat or prevent bacterial infection medicines or alternative remedies that contain zinc including throat lozenges and cold remedies sulfasalazine, a medicine used to treat the inflammatory bowel conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease cholestyramine, a medicine used to reduce cholesterol Mixing folic acid with herbal remedies or supplements Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any herbal remedies or supplements together with folic acid.

Some vitamin and mineral supplements may already contain folic acid. Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you take any supplements or remedies that contain zinc. Folic acid can stop zinc working as well as it should. Important For safety, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. How does folic acid work? In anaemia Folic acid helps make healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. This causes folate deficiency anaemia, which can cause tiredness and other symptoms.

In pregnancy A baby's body and most of their internal organs are formed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Women need up to 10 times more folate in pregnancy to help the baby develop.

To reduce the side effects of methotrexate Methotrexate works by blocking some of the effects of folate. Taking folic acid can help prevent the side effects of folate deficiency. How long does folic acid take to work? Folic acid usually starts to work in a few hours.

It's important to keep taking your folic acid for as long as it's recommended. How long will I take it for? This depends on why you're taking folic acid: In pregnancy - women are recommended to take folic acid while they're trying for a baby and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Are there other sources of folate? A diet lacking foods rich in folate or folic acid can lead to a folate deficiency.

Folate deficiency can also occur in people who have conditions, such as celiac disease, that prevent the small intestine from absorbing nutrients from foods malabsorption syndromes. The recommended daily amount of folate for adults is micrograms mcg. Adult women who are planning pregnancy or could become pregnant should be advised to get to 1, mcg of folic acid a day.

For most people, it's best to get folate from food. A balanced diet usually provides all you need. However, folic acid supplements are recommended for women who are planning to become pregnant, could become pregnant, are pregnant or are breast-feeding.

Folic acid supplements can also help people who have poor diets or conditions that interfere with the body's ability to absorb folate. People with allergies might have a reaction to folic acid supplements.

Warning signs of an allergic reaction include:. A high folate intake can mask vitamin B deficiency until its neurological effects become irreversible. This can typically be remedied by taking a supplement containing percent of the daily value of both folic acid and vitamin B There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

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It is believed that folate may play a role in both suppressing some types of early cancer, as well as progressing established cancers if high doses of folic acid are used. Observational studies show that people who get higher than average amounts of folate from their diets or folic acid supplements for 15 years or more have lower risks of colon cancer [25] and breast cancer.

But the relationship between folate and cancer is a complicated one, especially for people at high risk of colon cancer. A multiyear trial looked at whether high-dose folic acid supplements could prevent new polyps in people who had a history of polyps. Keep in mind that this study tested a high dose of folic acid, more than two times higher than what is found in a standard multivitamin; furthermore, study participants were already at a very high risk of developing new polyps.

This may be another case where timing of folate intake is critical. Getting adequate folate may prevent polyps in people who do not have them, but high dose folic acid supplements may speed up polyp growth in people who do.

In the U. The steady decline in deaths from colon cancer before and after the onset of folic acid fortification suggests that screening, not folic acid fortification, is responsible for the uptick in colon cancer rates. The overall evidence from studies in humans shows a lower risk of colon and breast cancer with greater intake of folate or folic acid, rather than increased risk. The study did not find a negative impact of the folate fortification program on cancer risk and even suggested a protective role.

When teasing out the relationship between any vitamin supplement and cancer, it is important to remember that cancer cells are essentially our own cells on overdrive, growing and rapidly dividing, and they have a greater need for nutrients than most of our normal cells do.

Studies done decades ago show that folate is needed for tumor cell growth. Indeed, one successful chemotherapy agent works as a folate antagonist, since rapidly dividing cells require folate to maintain their fast pace of cell division. So for people who have cancer or precancerous growths, nutritional supplements may be a double-edged sword. If you have cancer, make sure to check with your doctor before beginning any vitamin supplement regimen.

Some observational studies have found a link between low blood levels of folate and higher risk of dementia. However, clinical trials have not found that folic acid supplementation prevents the development of dementia or improves cognitive function even if it reduces homocysteine levels.

A wide variety of foods naturally contain folate, but the form that is added to foods and supplements, folic acid, is better absorbed. In January , the U. Food and Drug Administration required food manufacturers to add folic acid to foods commonly eaten, including breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and other grain products, to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.

A folate deficiency is rare because it is found in a wide range of foods. However, the following conditions may put people at increased risk:. Signs of deficiency can include: megaloblastic anemia a condition arising from a lack of folate in the diet or poor absorption that produces less red blood cells, and larger in size than normal ; weakness, fatigue; irregular heartbeat; shortness of breath; difficulty concentrating; hair loss; pale skin; mouth sores.

However, an upper limit for folic acid is set at 1, mcg daily because studies have shown that taking higher amounts can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency. This deficiency occurs most often in older adults or those eating a vegan diet in whom a B12 deficiency is more common. Both folate and B12 are involved in making red blood cells, and a shortage of either can result in anemia.

A person taking high-dosage supplements of folic acid may be able to correct the anemia and feel better, but the B12 deficiency still exists. If you choose to use a folic acid supplement, stick with the lower range available of mcg a day or less, as you will likely obtain additional folic acid from fortified foods like cereals and breads, as well as natural folate in food. Overall, the evidence suggests that the amount of folic acid in a typical multivitamin does not cause any harm—and may help prevent some diseases, especially among people who do not get enough folate in their diets, and among individuals who drink alcohol.

Folate is also referred to as vitamin B9. Despite the number, there are only eight B vitamins in total. B Vitamins Vitamins and Minerals. The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice.

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Folate and Health Neural tube defects One of the advances that changed the way we look at vitamins was the discovery that too little folate is linked to birth defects of the spine spina bifida and brain anencephaly.

Heart disease In , a Boston pathologist investigated the deaths of two children from massive strokes. A Cochrane review of 15 randomized controlled trials found that folic acid supplements, taken alone or with other B vitamins, compared with a placebo did not show a significant difference on rates of heart attack and cardiovascular disease deaths but it did reduce the risk of stroke.