Folic acid (pteroyl-L-glutamic acid)

What role does it play in the organism?
Folic acid is essential for biosynthetic and other converting processes. Among other things, it is necessary for blood formation. It was proven in the past decades that with an appropriate folic acid intake prior to conception, the risk of severe foetal development disorders can be reduced considerably.

What foodstuffs contain it?
Good dietary folic acid sources are vegetables and culinary plants.

Who are exposed to folic acid deficiency and what does this deficiency state cause?
Its deficiency, caused mainly by cooking techniques (cooking for a long time), causes absorption insufficiency, leading to anaemia. It is estimated that the incidence rate of folic acid deficiency might affect 20% of the Hungarian population.

What is the recommended intake for folic acid?
The daily requirement is 25-200 micrograms for children depending on age and 200 micrograms for adults. According to data, the recommended daily intake for folic acid is 400-800 micrograms during pregnancy.

What are the health risks of excessive folic acid intake?
Although folic acid is not toxic even in high doses, a daily maximum intake of 1000 micrograms (1 mg) can be recommended, because a dose higher than this might interact with the effect of particular medicines and may also hide the symptoms of for example Vitamin B12 deficiency.