There are numerous benefit of Folic Acid to a woman, especially who could be pregnant in near future. If a woman has enough of it in her body, her newborn baby possibly becomes safer and does not develop neural tube defects. As one of the important benefits of folic acid is to prevent birth defects. It also assists DNA and RNA synthesis and is required in Red Blood Cells production.

What is folic acid?

Folic acid or folate is a water-soluble vitamin. It is one of the B vitamins and is also known as B9. Your body uses it to make new cells. Your body cannot produce it endogenously, so it is necessary to get it from your diet. It is an essential vitamin and cannot be replaced by any other dietary component or nutrient. (study reference 1, 2)

What’s the difference between folate and folic acid?

The terms folate and folic acid are used interchangeably for this vitamin. But actually, they are different chemically. Folate is a broader term and contains all forms of Vitamin B9 including folic acid and 5-MTHF. Folic acid has a different chemical structure than folate and it is the specific synthetic form of this vitamin. So, to get all the benefits of folic acid or folate you should prefer dietary intake over supplements. As supplements contain a synthetic form of this vitamin.  (study reference 1, 2, 3)

Always choose nutrient-dense foods to get all the nutrients and their benefits. Here we are enlisting folate-rich foods, add them to your daily diet plan to get folate adequately. (study reference 1)

• spinach
• kale
• broccoli
• avocado
• citrus fruits
• eggs
• beef liver

B9-fortified foods are also available in the market like flour, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, and loaves of bread. (study reference 1, 2)

What are the functions of folate in your body?

There are various functions of folate within your body which can provide indispensable health benefits to your body. (study reference 1)

• it makes and helps to repair DNA
• helps cells to grow, divide, and function normally
• helps to produce some proteins
• helps red blood cells to make them mature and complete

You can get an idea of the benefits of folic acid by following diseases and conditions that can happen when you are not intaking enough folate in your diet.

• Anemia (immature red blood cells that are incapable to transport oxygen)

• An increased risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers
• Birth defects
• Neural tube defects
• Anencephaly
• Abnormal DNA and RNA synthesis

(study reference 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

The following are the most important proven benefits of folic acid to a women. Besides females, there are also benefits of folic acid for males and children that are other than pregnancy-related benefits.

Benefit of folic acid to a woman and its Usage

These benefits and usage are for both folate and folic acid. As they both are used in supplements but folic acid is used mostly. So following are the benefits of both folic acid and folate.  (study reference 1)

Prevention of birth defects and pregnancy complications

The most important benefit of folic acid to a woman is the prevention of birth defects. It is an essential component for the normal development of neural tube and the brain. If a mother is deficient in folate, her baby may get one or both of the birth defects which are spina bifida and anencephaly. (study reference 1, 2)

Research studies have indicated that adequate levels of folate during pregnancy not only prevent birth defects in the newborn but also prevent pregnancy complications in the mother, like preeclampsia. (study reference 1, 2)

Brain and nerve health

Another important benefit of folic acid to a woman as well as for others is the protection of nerves and brain tissues. Folate deficiency can increase the risk of dementia and other nervous issues. In multiple studies, it has been found that one of the important benefits of folate is that it maintains brain health and prolongs nerve life. Even mild deficiency of folate can cause minor impairments in the brain functions of older adults. It may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease. (study reference 1, 2)

A study was conducted on 180 adults in 2019 who had mild cognitive impairment. 400 micrograms of folate were administered daily for 2 years. The results were positive and showed an improvement in brain functions as well as reduced blood levels of a protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease. (study reference 1)

Reduced risk of heart diseases

Folate supplements can decrease the risk of heart disease and various heart-related issues.

Increased levels of amino acid homocysteine can enhance the risk of heart disease. The reason is that folate can help in the breakdown of homocysteine, low folate levels can lead to increase homocysteine levels. The high levels of homocysteine in the blood are called hyperhomocysteinemia.

So, the supplementation of folic acid assists in the breakdown of homocysteine levels and decreases the risk of heart disease. (study reference 1)

A review of 30 research studies that were conducted on more than 80,000 participants showed the effect of folate supplementation as a 4%  reduced overall risk of Heart disease and a 10% reduction in the risk of stroke. (study reference 1)

folic acid or folate supplementation may increase the health and functions of the blood vessels in heart patients. (study reference 1, 2)

Diabetes and Folate

Adequate levels of folate within the body may help to improve the blood glucose level and decrease insulin resistance in diabetic patients. Diabetic medicine metformin can cause folate deficiency, so you should consume a supplement or increase your dietary intake of folate. (study reference 1, 2, 3, 4)

Role of Folate in Fertility issues

The most indispensable benefit of folic acid to a woman is that it improves egg quality and helps its growth and implantation in the uterus. A good intake of folate may increase the chances of conception and leads pregnancy to a full-term baby birth. Mothers who try to conceive through assisted reproductive technology may have increased chances of getting a baby if taking supplemental folate regularly. (study reference 1, 2)

Benefits of folic acid in inflammation

This is the benefit of folic acid not only to a woman but also to the man. Inflammation is involved in various diseases within the human body. Research studies have found that folate or folic acid intake may reduce some inflammatory markers thereby reducing the inflammation in the body. Mostly it helps the body to reduce the C-reactive protein- an inflammatory marker.   (study reference 1, 2)

Kidney Diseases and folic acid

Kidneys are the clearance machinery of the body. They filter blood and remove waste material from the body. When kidneys become damaged, the homocysteine levels build up in the blood and can damage the heart. Taking folic acid supplements in this situation can break down the homocysteine and reduce the risk of heart disease in kidney patients. (study reference 1, 2)

Treatment of Mental Health Conditions

Some of the neurotransmitters need folic acid for their synthesis and production. If you are deficient in folic acid or folate, research studies have indicated that it can lead to depression, schizophrenia, and other mental health conditions.  (study reference 1, 2)

A research study conducted in 2022 revealed that taking supplements of folate or folic acid has benefits in improving the brain health conditions like postpartum depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.  (study reference 1)

These all benefit of folic acid to a woman mentioned above are not the complete list of benefits, some people use folic acid supplements for other many reasons.

Further studies are still needed to confirm more benefits of folic acid or folate.

Must consult a Registered Dietitian before taking any supplement including a folic acid supplement or any other multivitamin or multimineral supplement.

Read more about Vitamins