Description of folic acid, its benefits and harms to the body. The daily rate for children and adults. List of foods containing vitamin B9. Its amount is in meat, fish, "milk", nuts, cereals, vegetables, fruits, berries and mushrooms. Folic acid foods are a huge list of fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts, fish, meat, without which health can be seriously affected. In one form or another, they must be included in the diet every day. Both men and women, children and adults need them equally badly. This substance is included in the TOP-3 of the most important, along with iron and vitamin B12.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid in Latin is written as "acidum folicum", translated into Russian the latter means "leaf". It got its name due to the fact that in 1941 it was first isolated from spinach. It is a water-soluble vitamin that accumulates in humans in the liver, kidneys, bone marrow, tissues and red blood cells. It is practically absent in the blood plasma, and what is available does not in itself possess biological activity, which is why it forms several forms in the cells of the body by means of biochemical changes. The active form of the vitamin is only the coenzyme tetrahydrofolate, which appears under the influence of dihydrofolate reductase.
In total, the body of an adult contains about 5-10 mg of this substance.
Officially, folic acid is called vitamin B9, which also includes a number of its derivatives - di-, tri- and polyglutamates. All of them together form a single group of folates or folacin, uniting under one name. Vitamin B9 enters the human body during meals or with special food additives. Also, in small quantities, it can be synthesized by the intestinal microflora, but this does not cover the needs of the body even by 50%.
The main task of this substance and its derivatives is to establish the exchange of one-carbon groups between different organic compounds.
Below is a table of the daily folate intake:
| Age | Volume per day, mcg |
| Up to six months | 65 |
| Up to 12 months | 80 |
| Up to 3 years | 150 |
| Under 18 | 200 |
| Adults | 400 |
Pregnant women need about 40% more of this vitamin, on average they need 600 mcg of folate per day. By approximately the same amount, it is necessary to increase their intake into the body for athletes, during the recovery period after operations and injuries, as well as for the elderly. Note! The upper limit for a person over 18 years old is 1000 mcg, after crossing this line, poisoning of the body will become possible.
The benefits of folic acid
This vitamin is especially needed by pregnant women, lactating mothers, children, athletes and the elderly, although normally it should enter the body of absolutely every person, and every day. Its deficiency threatens the development of anemia and hypoxia, since it is involved in the transfer of oxygen through the blood to the internal organs, including the brain. With its deficiency, shortness of breath and weakness usually appear, the skin becomes pale and flaky profusely, and severe itching occurs. At the same time, due to a slowdown in platelet formation, blood clotting worsens, and a decrease in the number of leukocytes leads to a decrease in the level of immunity. Especially men suffer from this, in whom, against this background, the potency and quality of sperm often decrease, which interferes with the normal conception of a child.
In people with a lack of vitamin B9, enterocytes, the cells of the intestinal epithelium, can atrophy, which usually leads to stool disorder. Against this background, there is a possibility of weight loss for no apparent reason. There is also a risk of progression of atherosclerosis, phlebitis, varicose veins due to blood clots, in which blood clots can break off the walls of blood vessels and clog the lumen in them, which, in turn, can cause cardiac arrest.
Folic acid works as follows:
- Improves memory … With the help of this substance, the brain is saturated with a sufficient amount of oxygen and functions without interruption. Blood rushes to it in a normal volume, which allows you to memorize information, if not on the fly, then certainly without any particular difficulties. This is extremely important for knowledge workers, students and high school students.
- Suppresses stress … Thanks to this vitamin, irritability is eliminated, apathy passes, and mood improves. As a result, emotional powerlessness and much more serious depression are prevented, which means that the likelihood of developing diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and a number of other diseases arising from nerves is reduced.
- Strengthens concentration of attention … In 2014, a large-scale study was conducted that revealed a lack of folacin in 96.3% of school-age children in the United States and Europe. It is noteworthy that most of the children participating in it at that time suffered from attention deficit disorder, were unfocused and did not perform very well in their educational institutions.
- Forms the placenta during pregnancy … Since this process occurs mainly in the first 15 weeks of the term, that is, in the conditionally first trimester, the emphasis on foods with folic acid should be done during this period. After this time has elapsed through the tissues of the placenta, the fetus is provided with the necessary oxygen and nutrients. It has also been proven that with a lack of folate, it is likely that the baby will develop anomalies of the genitourinary system, anencephaly and heart disease.
- Strengthens the body … Folacin prevents the development of anemia and thereby protects a person from dangerous bacteria, viruses, infections. This can prevent many different diseases, from the common cold to tuberculosis. Equally important here is the fact that with good health, the likelihood of tumor formation is much lower than in people with low quality.
Important! With a deficiency of vitamin B9, food alone, even if they are very rich in them, will simply not be enough, you will need to additionally take drugs based on this substance.
Folic acid harm
Excess folate in the body is extremely rare, because, due to their water solubility, they are flushed out of the body too quickly along with urine, and their permanent reserves in the depot are extremely low in order to become a trigger.
This is mainly found in those who, at the same time, heavily consume foods rich in folates and special preparations with a high content of this vitamin. Problems can arise in the case of severe kidney and liver diseases (cirrhosis, renal and hepatic failure), in which vitamin B9 is almost always deposited in these organs and is hardly excreted.
This can increase the weight of the fetus during pregnancy, create a fertile ground for the onset of diabetes and obesity. Other possible complications include asthma, prostatitis, and prostate adenoma. It is also possible to suffer from insomnia and to face increased irritability.
Note! The most important symptom of an overdose of vitamin B9 is a metallic taste in the mouth, which is noted by up to 90% of people with this problem.
What foods contain folic acid?
This substance is found in almost any food, but if you try to calculate which foods contain more folic acid, then offal should be called the leader. They are followed by legumes, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits and berries, then you can place "milk", nuts and various natural cereals.
Folic acid in meat
The largest amount of this substance is found in by-products and poultry, where it is almost twice the daily norm, and the smallest in sausages, bacon, brisket, bacon, etc. prepared on their basis. The amount of vitamin B9 in meat and offal per 100 g:
- Goose liver - 738.0 mcg;
- Duck liver - 738.0 mcg;
- Turkey liver - 691.0 mcg;
- Chicken liver - 560.0 mcg;
- Chicken hearts - 80.0 mcg;
- Chicken thighs - 19.0 mcg;
- Turkey legs (drumstick) - 10, 0 mcg;
- Duck - 10.0 mcg;
- Turkey thigh - 9.0 mcg;
- Turkey breast - 9.0 mcg;
- Turkey meat - 9.0 mcg;
- Ostrich meat - 8, 0 mcg;
- Chicken - 7, 0 mcg;
- Chicken legs - 5.0 mcg;
- Pheasant - 5.0 mcg;
- Gusyatina - 2.0 mcg;
- Kidneys - 56, 0 mg;
- Lamb - 5.1 mg;
- Beef - 8, 4 mg;
- Sausages, boiled sausage - 4.05 mg;
- Rabbit meat - 7, 7 mg;
- Brains - 14 mg
Note! Long-term heat treatment of meat destroys most of the reserves of folic acid. This is especially true for frying and baking; during cooking and salting, this substance is destroyed in much smaller volumes.
Folic acid in dairy products
Homemade cheese and cottage cheese are of the greatest value, and the higher their fat content, the more useful they are for health. Store-bought pasteurized milk is much less effective as a source of vitamin B9, since during processing it can be heated to a temperature of 60-70 degrees.
Here is the folate content in dairy products:
- Fatty cottage cheese - 35 mg;
- Cheese cheese - 35 mg;
- Powdered milk - 30 mg;
- Roquefort cheese - 30 mg;
- Russian cheese - 23.5 mg;
- Processed cheese - 14 mg;
- Butter - 10 mg;
- Cream - 10 mg;
- Kefir - 7, 8 mg;
- Sour milk - 7, 4 mg;
- Milk - 5 mg;
- Condensed milk - 2 mg;
- Adyghe cheese - 39 mcg;
- Suluguni firm 19 mcg;
- Serum - 0.001 mg.
Note! In order for folic acid to be preserved in the product in full, milk must be allowed to sour naturally, without boiling on the stove, in extreme cases, you can use milk-clotting enzymes (rennet, pepsin).
Folic acid in fish
Fish in terms of the amount of vitamin B9 contained here lags behind meat and a number of dairy products. Its concentration is high only in salmonids, some river inhabitants and seafood. The amount of folic acid per 100 g:
- Fish caviar - 80, 0 mcg;
- Chinook salmon - 35.0 mcg;
- Croaker - 34.0 mcg;
- Salmon - 29.0 mcg;
- Hanos, dairy fish - 18.0 mcg;
- Carp - 17.0 mcg;
- Butterfish, escolar - 17.0 mcg;
- River perch - 17.0 mcg;
- Sturgeon - 17.0 mcg;
- Pike perch - 17.0 mcg;
- Eel - 17.0 mcg;
- Pike - 17.0 mcg;
- Merlang - 15.0 mcg;
- Shark meat - 15.0 mcg;
- Trout - 15.0 mcg;
- Halibut - 14.0 mcg;
- Anchovies - 13.0 mcg;
- Coho salmon - 13.0 mcg;
- Herring - 12.0 mcg;
- Grouper - 10.0 mcg;
- Mullet - 10.0 mcg;
- Sea perch - 10, 0 mcg;
- Sardine - 10.0 mcg;
- Catfish - 10.0 mcg;
- Terpug - 10, 0 mcg;
- Molva - 8.0 mcg;
- Monkfish - 8.0 mcg;
- Sockeye salmon - 7, 0 mcg;
- Catfish - 6.0 mcg;
- Flounder - 6.0 mcg;
- Corifena - 6.0 mcg;
- Lucian - 6.0 mcg;
- Seabass - 6.0 mcg;
- Tilapia - 6.0 mcg;
- Pink salmon - 5.0 mcg;
- Chum salmon - 5.0 mcg;
- Smelt - 5.0 mcg;
- Horse mackerel - 5.0 mcg;
- Lakedra - 4.0 mcg;
- Tuna - 4.0 mcg;
- Pollock - 3.0 mcg.
- Menek - 2.0 mcg;
- Omul - 2.0 mcg;
- Swordfish - 2.0 mcg;
- Mackerel - 2.0 mcg
- Jellyfish - 1.0 mcg
- Burbot - 1.0 mcg.
River fish in terms of saturating the body with folates is much more useful than sea fish, while both of them tolerate frying, boiling, stewing and other types of heat treatment well, ultimately preserving almost the entire volume of vitamin B9.
Folic acid in legumes
The leader in the content of folate from the representatives of legumes is chickpeas, and the “outsider” is green peas. At the same time, they are present in large quantities mainly in fresh grains, since during conservation, as a result of heat treatment and the use of sugar, vitamin B9 becomes much less here.
Here is a list of grains that contain folic acid:
- Chickpeas - 557.0 mcg;
- Black-eyed beans - 208, 0 mcg;
- Lentils - 181.0 mcg;
- Sprouted soybeans - 172.0 mcg;
- Pink beans - 168.0 mcg;
- Mash - 159.0 mcg;
- Black beans - 149.0 mcg;
- Sprouted peas - 144.0 mcg;
- White beans - 140.0 mcg;
- Kidney red beans - 130.0 mcg.
- Adzuki beans - 121.0 mcg;
- Pinto beans, sprouted - 118.0 mcg;
- Fresh green peas - 65.0 mcg.
Folic acid, which comes to the body from raw and boiled beans, is absorbed much faster and easier than found in dairy products and vegetables.
Folic acid in vegetables and herbs
If we compare them in terms of folate content with berries, nuts, dairy products, then they will definitely win, but against the background of offal they will look less attractive. In addition, seasonal vegetables and greens are much healthier than those grown in a greenhouse in winter. Here is a list with the amount of folic acid in foods:
- Spinach - 194.0 mcg;
- Parsley - 152.0 mcg;
- Curly cabbage - 141.0 mcg;
- Roman salad - 136.0 mcg;
- Collard greens - 129.0 mcg;
- Beets - 109.0 mcg;
- Broccoli - 108.0 mcg;
- Chives - 105.0 mcg;
- Chinese broccoli - 104.0 mcg;
- Arugula - 97.0 mcg;
- Artichoke - 89.0 mcg;
- Savoy cabbage - 80.0 mcg;
- Watercress - 80, 0 mcg;
- Beets - 80, 0 mcg;
- Parsnip - 67.0 mcg;
- Peking cabbage - 66.0 mcg;
- Leeks - 64.0 mcg;
- Cilantro - 62.0 mcg;
- Brussels sprouts - 61.0 mcg;
- Cauliflower - 57.0 mcg
- Sauerkraut - 52.0 mcg;
- Asparagus - 52.0 mcg;
- Hot chili pepper - 51.0 mcg;
- Sweet red pepper - 46.0 mcg;
- Corn - 42.0 mcg;
- Lettuce - 38.0 mcg;
- Celery - 36.0 mcg;
- Shallots - 34.0 mcg;
- Green onions - 30.0 mcg;
- Iceberg lettuce - 29.0 mcg;
- Daikon - 28.0 mcg;
- Zucchini - 28.0 mcg;
- Radish - 25.0 mcg;
- Rutabaga - 21.0 mcg;
- Patisson - 21.0 mcg;
- Onions - 19.0 mcg;
- Carrots - 19.0 mcg;
- Kohlrabi - 16.0 mcg;
- Raw potatoes - 15.0 mcg;
- Eggplant - 14.0 mcg;
- Tomato - 13.0 mcg;
- Jerusalem artichoke - 13.0 mcg;
- Sorrel - 13.0 mcg;
- Purslane - 12.0 mcg;
- Raw sweet potato - 11.0 mcg;
- Sweet green pepper - 10, 0 mcg;
- Potatoes - 9.0 mcg;
- Turnip - 9.0 mcg;
- Pumpkin - 9.0 mcg;
- Cucumbers - 7, 0 mcg;
- Garlic - 3.0 mcg.
Folic acid in mushrooms
Depending on the type, they can be eaten raw, fried, salted, baked, stewed. They can be used for making soups, potatoes, casseroles, zraz, as a filling for pancakes.
The champion in folate content is the porcini mushroom, which is found mainly in spruce and pine forests, especially in the taiga.
Here are the mushrooms we are talking about:
- White - 400 mcg;
- Enoki - 48.0 mcg;
- Oyster mushrooms - 38.0 mcg;
- Nigella - 30 mcg;
- Brown champignons (royal) - 25.0 mcg;
- Shiitake - 21.0 mcg;
- Maitake - 21.0 mcg;
- Woody - 19.0 mcg;
- Portobello - 19.0 mcg;
- Common champignons - 17.0 mcg;
- Morels - 9.0 mcg;
- Chanterelles - 2.0 mcg.
In mushrooms dried in the sun, the folate content practically does not change, but frying has a negative effect on them.
Folic acid in fruits
You can only talk about their value in this regard if you eat raw fruits. Pickled, baked, dried, frozen also contain folate, but usually in much smaller quantities, and they are also much less digestible. Folic acid content in 100 g of fruit:
- Avocado - 81.0 mcg;
- Guava - 49.0 mcg;
- Mango - 43.0 mcg;
- Pomegranate - 38.0 mcg;
- Papaya - 37.0 mcg;
- Durian - 36.0 mcg;
- Orange - 30.0 mcg;
- Kiwi - 25.0 mcg;
- Clementine - 24.0 mcg;
- Feijoa - 23.0 mcg;
- Cherimoya - 23.0 mcg;
- Bananas - 20.0 mcg;
- Pineapple - 18.0 mcg;
- Kumquat - 17.0 mcg;
- Mandarins - 16.0 mcg;
- Dates Majul - 15.0 mcg;
- Dried bananas - 14.0 mcg;
- Lychee - 14.0 mcg;
- Passion fruit - 14.0 mcg;
- Medlar - 14.0 mcg;
- Sapodilla - 14.0 mcg;
- Sour cream apple - 14.0 mcg;
- Grapefruit - 13.0 mcg;
- Lemon - 11.0 mcg;
- Dried apricots - 10, 0 mcg;
- Apricot - 9.0 mcg;
- Lime - 8.0 mcg;
- Rambutan - 8.0 mcg;
- Pear - 7, 0 mcg;
- Black persimmon (sapota) - 7, 0 mcg;
- Figs - 6.0 mcg;
- Plum - 5.0 mcg;
- Peach - 4.0 mcg;
- Quince - 3.0 mcg;
- Kiwano - 3.0 mcg;
- Apples - 3.0 mcg.
Folic acid in berries
This substance is found both in summer cottages and in forest berries, both raw and dried. To get it, you can use them in preserves, compotes, jams, pie fillings. They can be great ingredients in smoothies and yoghurts.
Below are the berries that contain folate:
- Logan Berry - 26.0 mcg;
- Blackberries - 25.0 mcg;
- Strawberries - 24.0 mcg;
- Raspberry - 21.0 mcg;
- Tamarind - 14.0 mcg;
- White and red currants - 8.0 mcg;
- Cherries - 8.0 mcg;
- Mulberry - 6.0 mcg;
- Gooseberry - 6.0 mcg;
- Elderberry - 6.0 mcg;
- Blueberries - 6.0 mcg;
- Raisins - 3.0 mcg;
- Watermelon - 3.0 mcg;
- Grapes (red or green) - 2.0 mcg;
- Grapes (nutmeg varieties) - 2.0 mcg;
- Cranberries - 1.0 mcg
Folic acid in cereals
Naturally, cereals in the form in which they were originally collected - wheat, buckwheat, rye, oats, millet - will be much healthier. They can be used to cook both porridge and soups. They can also be used for germination, which is especially true for adherents of raw food. Vitamin B9 content in cereals per 100 g:
- Oatmeal - 286 mcg
- Quinoa - 42.0 mcg;
- Green buckwheat - 30.0 mcg;
- Wild rice - 26.0 mcg;
- Amaranth - 22.0 mcg;
- Millet - 19.0 mcg;
- Bulgur - 18.0 mcg;
- Teph - 18.0 mcg;
- Pearl barley - 16.0 mcg;
- Couscous - 15.0 mcg;
- Buckwheat - 14.0 mcg;
- Long grain brown rice - 9.0 mcg;
- Parboiled brown rice - 4.0 mcg;
- Medium-grain brown rice - 4.0 mcg;
- Long grain white rice - 3.0 mcg;
- White long-grain steamed rice - 3.0 mcg;
- Round grain white rice - 2.0 mcg;
- Medium-grain white rice - 2.0 mcg;
- Rice is sticky, sticky - 1.0 mcg.
Other foods with folate
This vitamin is also found in small amounts in chicken eggs, where there is no more than 7 μg per 100 g of folate. In the goose analog, it is much more - 76 μg, and in the duck, this volume is even greater - 80 μg. In quail eggs, this substance is practically absent, it accounts for no more than 5, 6 μg.
Nuts can also be considered a good source of folate, walnuts alone contain 77 mcg per 100 g, and peanuts contain 240 mcg. Slightly less of them in cashews (25 mcg), hazelnuts (68 mcg), pistachios (51 mcg) and almonds (40 mcg). Pecan contains 22 μg of this substance, the same amount is in Brazilian, and in macadamia it is exactly two times less - 11 μg. Of the more affordable "suppliers" of vitamin B9, the most common chestnuts should be highlighted here, where 58 mcg is concentrated in 100 g.
What foods contain folic acid - look at the video:
Folic acid contained in foods is a vital vitamin, without which the body simply cannot function normally. It must enter the body with food constantly. But it should be borne in mind that gastritis and colitis can reduce its digestibility, in this case it will be necessary to connect food supplements that contain folacin.
