Folic acidis the synthetic form of vitamin B9, which can be purchased as a supplement.
When naturally occurring, vitamin B9 is known as folate.
Folate is found in many different types of fruits and darkgreen leafy vegetables.
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If you’redeficientin folate, you may experience symptoms such as muscle weakness, unexplained fatigue, andanemia.
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What Are Folic Acid and Folate?
Folic acids and/or folate, also known as vitamin B9, are essential for your health.
Vitamin B9 can be consumed either naturally in foods (folate) or via supplementation (folic acid).
What Are the Health Benefits of Folate?
Adequatefolatelevels in our body are associated with some health benefits.
Foods fortified with folate (folic acid) are more easily absorbed in the body.
This meets 22% of the daily value for folate.
Legumes are an excellent source of folate.
The folate content will vary based on the pop in of legume chosen.
Dark, Leafy Vegetables
Dark, leafy vegetables are a great source of folate.
Banana
Bananas are a pop in of fruit that contain an excellent amount of folate.
Vitamin B9 can be derived from foods (folate) or through supplements (folic acid).
Frequently Asked Questions
A folic acid deficiency is often subtle.
Signs of being deficient include muscle weakness, unexplained fatigue, and anemia.
No, B12 is not the same as folic acid.
While folic acid is a B vitamin, specifically B9, vitamin B12 has an entirely different function.
That said, folic acid and vitamin B12 do work together to help the functioning of red blood cells.
Currently, there is no evidence that suggests that folic acid supplementation can cause weight gain.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Folic acid.
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National Institute Of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate: fact sheet for health professionals.
USDA FoodData Central.Pinto beans.
USDA FoodData Central.Romaine lettuce.
USDA FoodData Central.Brussels sprouts.
USDA FoodData Central.Beef liver.
USDA FoodData Central.Eggs, grade A, large, egg whole.
