What is high folic acid?

Everyone knows that folic acid is a nutrient that pregnant mothers must supplement and it has a vital impact on the baby's development. Many pregnant women need to supplement folic acid in the early stages of pregnancy, because too little folic acid may cause fetal miscarriage. However, some people found that their folic acid levels were too high during examinations. What’s going on? Will excessive folic acid have a negative impact on the human body? What are the side effects?

What is high folic acid?

Folic acid is not harmful to the human body. On the contrary, folic acid is a nutrient that can promote fetal development. Doctors generally recommend that pregnant women take folic acid when preparing for pregnancy or when they are pregnant. Some people take large amounts of folic acid, which causes too high folic acid levels in their bodies. All they need to do is reduce the dosage or stop taking it.

The role of folic acid

1. Prevent anemia in pregnant women : The body of a pregnant woman needs folic acid to produce normal red blood cells. The survey shows that the prevalence of anemia among Chinese women of childbearing age is 20.6%. Insufficient folic acid intake may also cause anemia in pregnant women.

2. Prevent congenital malformations in babies: Reduce the risk of birth defects in babies. Taking folic acid tablets can prevent birth defects such as congenital heart disease in the fetus.

3. Prevent neural tube defects: Neural tube defects are common congenital malformations in newborns in China. If women take the recommended daily dose of folic acid at least one month before conception and during the first three months of pregnancy, they can reduce the risk of neural tube defects in their baby by 50%-70%.

4. Promote placental development: It affects the basic structure of DNA and cells. Therefore, getting enough folic acid is particularly important for the rapidly growing placenta and baby.

5. Preventing preeclampsia in pregnant women: Taking multivitamins containing folic acid can reduce the risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women.

What are the side effects of folic acid?

Generally speaking, folic acid has no side effects, but it can cause side effects if taken in excess. Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin and generally will not cause poisoning even if it exceeds the minimum requirement for adults by 20 times. Any excess folic acid is excreted in the urine. However, folic acid can be toxic to humans if taken in large doses. At present, women before and during pregnancy generally only need to take 400 micrograms per day. The specific dosage should be based on the instructions of various folic acid tablets.

Long-term and excessive use of folic acid may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia, nausea, abdominal distension, and yellow urine. Oral folic acid can quickly improve megaloblastic anemia, but it cannot prevent the progression of neurological damage caused by vitamin deficiency. If folic acid is still taken in large doses, the vitamin content in the serum can be further reduced, which will cause the neurological damage to develop in an irreversible direction.

Effects of folic acid deficiency

Folic acid deficiency in early pregnancy can lead to fetal malformations and neural tube defects, thereby increasing the incidence of anencephaly and spina bifida. It can also cause early spontaneous abortion.

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, if folic acid is deficient, pregnant women are prone to placental abruption, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and megaloblastic anemia. The fetus is prone to intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth, and low birth weight, and the growth and intellectual development of the fetus after birth will be affected.