Yamamoto Research Vitamin B9 Folic Acid 400mcg 60 tablets.

Vitamin B9, also known as folic acid, has many beneficial properties for the body. This vitamin is very important for brain function, plays a crucial role in blood circulation and vision, and influences cell division and genetic material development. Folic acid is used in many treatments for anemia and various other diseases, such as spina bifida, diarrhea, dyspepsia, gastritis, depression, and arthritis.

Physiologically, the human body produces only a small amount of folic acid through the intestinal bacterial flora. All other necessary needs must be met through food, so those at risk of deficiency are strongly recommended to eat foods rich in folic acid. However, due to dietary imbalances, various types of deficiencies, or increased needs such as during pregnancy, special folic acid supplements may be required.

Since the human body cannot synthesize this valuable element on its own, a greater dietary intake is needed, considering that the body's folic acid reserves are about 12-15 mg, primarily stored in the liver, which helps overcome only a few weeks of deficiency not compensated by food intake. In such cases, many health risks arise, as deficiency can damage bone marrow and various rapidly dividing tissues. There are two main causes of this deficiency: megaloblastic anemia and fetal spina bifida. In the first case, the size of red blood cells increases, causing significant psychophysical fatigue. Regarding the second issue (which has long been addressed with appropriate preventive obstetric treatment), if the child develops this disorder, the spinal cord would not be properly closed within the vertebrae, potentially causing serious damage, including paralysis of the lower limbs. Other risks associated with folic acid deficiency include cardiovascular disease risk, as it is widely recognized that this condition increases circulating homocysteine levels, promoting cardiovascular disease risk. Other disorders related to this deficiency include depression, skin and mucous membrane damage, developmental and ossification disorders, infertility, mental retardation, and lymphatic atrophy.

Thus, it is undeniable that folic acid and/or vitamin B9 have many beneficial properties for the human body, starting with the brain, as this vitamin helps ensure their optimal function and protects against various pathologies affecting the nervous system.

Folic acid is a molecule involved in the synthesis of cellular proteins, DNA, and hemoglobin; it is important to remember that hemoglobin is a factor that transports oxygen to body tissues due to iron, so hemoglobin deficiency causes anemia. Folic acid deficiency in adults most commonly manifests as so-called "megaloblastic anemia," i.e., iron deficiency in hemoglobin and increased red blood cells; in such cases, folic acid supplements provide significant benefits. As mentioned, folic acid helps reduce the amino acid homocysteine level in the blood, which is a warning signal indicating a possible risk of cardiovascular system disorders, so folic acid intake is very important if these levels are high, as a preventive measure.

During pregnancy, the need for vitamin B9 increases significantly, and its deficiency can seriously harm the fetus. For this reason, folic acid supplements are prescribed to pregnant women as a preventive treatment, along with advice to maintain a balanced diet. This supplement becomes a key tool in helping the fetus develop properly, especially to prevent certain congenital neural tube defects, i.e., the structure that forms the nervous system and spine in the first weeks of pregnancy, such as spina bifida (where the spine develops two limbs instead of one) or anencephaly (where the brain does not develop or develops incorrectly). Spina bifida causes various degrees of problems, some of which can be corrected surgically, while others cannot be surgically resolved, such as paralysis of the lower limbs, difficulties controlling the bowel and bladder, and physical and mental developmental difficulties. Children with anencephaly die either before birth or shortly after. Folic acid also appears to be important in preventing other defects and congenital malformations (such as cleft lip and some heart defects).