National Folic Acid Awareness Week is being celebrated from January 5-11, 2020 to prevent neural tube defects.
Researches have clearly indicated that from the age of 10 to 50, every female needs to take Folic Acid every day. Folic Acid supplements are proven to reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly if taken well before conception.
Important Facts You Need to Know
- Folic Acid or Vitamin B-9 helps your body make DNA and RNA, the genetic “brains” that tell your body how to build cells
- Taking Folic Acid 3-12 months before you get pregnant can prevent your baby from dying or being paralyzed for life
- Taking B-9 before getting pregnant could prevent 70% or more of these tragic birth defects
- 50% of pregnancies in the US are unplanned (80% of teen pregnancies)
- Neural Tube Defects (NTD) [Spina bifida and anencephalic birth defects] can only be prevented by moms taking B-9 before getting pregnant
- Spina bifida (babies born with a hole in the spine) will have lifetime paralysis
- Anencephalic babies are born without a brain and always die shortly after birth
- Vitamin B-9 is cheap and no prescription is required
- Since 1998 the FDA has required flour and cereal makers to put about 100 micrograms a day in our food but that is not enough.
Signs You are Suffering a Folate Deficiency
The first sign is pale and painful gums. This paleness also affects the tongue and the mucus membranes inside the mouth and the tongue also becomes swollen and smooth. The higher the red blood cells count you have in your body, the richer the color of your gums will be and your tongue will be less inflamed.
Other symptoms can include:
- Extreme tiredness
- Lack of energy
- Feeling faint
- Headaches
- Pale skin
- Heart palpitations
- Breathlessness
- Gray hair
Take Action
You can increase folate and folic acid through diet by eating enriched foods like cereals, pastas and grains, as well as citrus juices and dark green vegetables.
Folic acid is also available over the counter and is incredibly inexpensive.