Many have heard that the body must be saturated with folic acid during pregnancy. But the role of this vitamin is not always clear, therefore, pregnant women often require clarification.
Folic acid is quite important for the human body. She takes a large part in the exchange of proteins, in the synthesis of nucleic acids, and therefore in the process of cell growth. Its role in the formation of blood cells is important.
The importance of folic acid during pregnancy
For good intrauterine development of the fetus, as well as for its growth, folic acid in the body must be contained in sufficient quantities. Thanks to numerous scientific studies in this area, it has been proven that folic acid has a beneficial effect on the body, preventing the occurrence of defects in the development of the neural tube and many other defects.
The organism is not capable of synthesizing this substance on its own. This vitamin is produced in small quantities by bacteria of the microflora of the colon, but these quantities do not cover the daily requirement for the vitamin. Yeast contains a lot of folate; liver of birds and animals; sunflower seeds; spicy herbs - parsley, basil, rosemary; soybeans; greens - cabbage and spinach; asparagus, peanuts, beans. In some countries, there are even laws that prescribe that bread products must be fortified with this vitamin.
Why you need to take folic acid preparations
Despite some content of folic acid in food, women who are pregnant or are just planning to become pregnant should definitely take drugs with its content. There are a number of reasons for taking it regularly. First, the role of this vitamin in the prevention of various pathologies during fetal development has been proven. Secondly, cooking destroys part of the vitamin, and our diet is not particularly rich in foods that contain folic acid. Compared to drugs, naturally occurring folic acid is less available. No matter how complete the nutrition is, it does not cover the body's need for this vitamin.
For a pregnant woman, the recommended rate of folic acid is 0.4 mg per day. Modern drugs are usually designed for a single dose during the day and contain just such a volume in the composition. Sometimes the attending physician may find it necessary to increase the dosage of the drug.
Those women who are just planning a pregnancy should start taking the vitamin in advance in a daily dose of 0.4 mg / day. Taking the drug should be continued against the background of the onset of pregnancy. If at the planning stage of pregnancy no drugs were taken, in case of its onset, you should start drinking vitamins as soon as possible. It's not difficult at all, and the benefits will be enormous.
