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General description	Water soluble vitamin essential for healthy pregnancy.
Found	- dark green leafy vegetables - liver - brewers yeast - whole grain - lentils - orange juice - asparagus
Anti-aging role	- RNA and DNA synthesis - red blood cell production - metabolism of proteins - vital for development of neural tube - lower blood level of homocysteine - lower the risk of heart disease by preventing damage of the endothelium - protect against cancer of the colon and rectum
Deficiency symptoms	- anemia - poor growth - weakness - inflamed and sore tongue - numbness and tingling in the hands and feet - irritability, depression - diarrhea, indigestion - impaired wound healing - reduced resistance to infection - birth defects - premature birth - cervical cancer and dysplasia
Therapeutic doses	400 - 800 mcg. First trimester of pregnancy: 600 mcg. Nursing women: 500 mcg. Europian RDA: 200 mcg
Maximum safe level	400 mcg (long - term usage) 700 mcg (short - term usage) Daily intake of folic acid in adults should not exceed 1000 mg.
Side effects	Very high doses of folic acid may trigger seizures in people with epilepsy.
Interactions	- antiepileptic drugs
High risk groups	- pegnant and lactating women - people with malabsorption, coelic and inflammatory intestinal diseases
Composition formulas	- folic acid (pteroilmonoglutamic acid), folate, methyl - folate (methyl - tetrahydrogen folate) - folic acid has the best absorption - metil - THF has the best usability - in combination with other B-vitamins, multivitamin, vitamin-mineral and prenatal formulas

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