Ever had brain fog or a period where your thinking is just fuzzy? What about dynamic mood swings for no apparent reason? Sometimes the cause is not stress but diet or the lack thereof. Low folate levels, for instance, cause mental changes, mood disorder, reduced cognitive and psychosocial abilities.
For a minute, folate has become synonymous with pregnancy – and with good reason too. Folic acid is needed for cell division and DNA formation. Cells rapidly divide throughout pregnancy because the mother's body needs to accommodate the baby which is also growing. Folic acid is especially vital in the development of the nervous system.
Notable baby defects as a result of folic acid deficiency are anencephaly and Spina bifida. Anencephaly is caused by brain malformation while spina bifida is a consequence of neural tube defects. The neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord.
Both defects affect the Central Nervous System (CNS). Other disorders include congenital heart defects, cleft lip, and palate. From these disorders, it is apparent that folate has a vital role in cardiovascular health and the CNS.
Regarding depression, a study found that folate is vital for the development of the cortical brain region; this part of the brain is responsible for a child's cognition and mental health. The cortical region develops through adolescence.
Lack of folic acid before birth affects the child's postnatal cortical development. The impact is worse during the child's adolescent years. That is why child-bearing age women are advised to consume 400mcg of folic acid daily.
What is the Role of Folic Acid in Inhibiting Depression?
A typical symptom of depressive moods is high concentrations of homocysteine in the blood. Increased homocysteine levels interfere with cardiovascular operations and neurotransmission. Notably, high levels of homocysteine is a common symptom in cognitive dysfunction, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer's disease in the elderly. It is the underlying cause of mental deterioration in the elderly.
Some studies include depression and psychosis as psychological symptoms of cobalamin and folate deficiencies. Genetics and some environmental elements like lack of vitamin B complex in the diet trigger high concentrations of homocysteine in the blood.
Excess homocysteine is usually removed through the homocysteine-methionine cycle. Folate's primary role in this cycle, along with vitamin B6 and B12, is to reduce homocysteine levels. A randomized control trial finding concluded that as little as 5mg of folic acid per day lowers homocysteine concentrations in the blood by up to 25%.
Let Us Get to the Specifics
In the blood, folate works with Vitamin 12(cobalamin) in a re-methylation dependent pathway to regenerate methionine (another amino acid). The active version of folate is a cofactor in this re-methylation reaction. Methionine, in turn, gets involved in other reactions to produce S-adenosylmethionine or (SAMe). SAMe is an essential biomolecule in the synthesis of monoamine neurotransmitters (serotonin, epinephrine, and dopamine).
These monoamine neurotransmitters regulate psychological and behavioral functions in the body. Serotonin, for instance, affects appetite, mood, sleep and cognitive functions like memory and attention. Dopamine regulates attention, working memory, and motivation behavior. Noradrenaline, on the other hand, affects concentration, attention, learning and memory.
Fun Fact: Homocysteine is also reduced to cysteine through a vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) dependent pathway.
Recommended Dietary Allowance for Folic Acid
From birth to 6 months, infants need 65mcg of folic acid. Babies between 7 and12 months need 80 mcg while 1 to 3-year-olds need 150mcg of folate. Children aged between 4 and 8 years need 200mcg while 9 to 13-year-olds need 300mcg. Men and women who are 14 years and older need 400mcg of folate daily. Pregnant women, regardless of age, need 600mcg of folate while lactating mothers need 500mcg.
Get Some Folate Goodness
Leafy greens are laden with folic acid. Whether juiced or in a salad, leafy greens are full of folate. Always remember to include an oil source like avocado in your juices to absorb most nutrients.
Legumes are a good source of folic acid. If you are not hyper acidic, you can enjoy folate from lentils. One cup of cooked lentils has 90% of the daily requirement of folic acid. Kidney beans, on the other hand, have 33% of the daily requirement. Peas are also rich folate.
A full avocado will give you 42% of the daily requirement of folate. Plus, avocados are also rich in vitamin K, C and Pyridoxine.
Seeds and nuts have an adequate measure of folic acid. Get those sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds and flaxseeds into your diet.
Beef liver has the most folate concentration. One once (0.02849 kgs) of beef liver has 54% of the daily recommended amount of folic acid.
Citrus fruits are also packed with folate. Oranges, grapefruit and strawberries, to name a few, are good sources of folate.
Root vegetables like beetroot and parsnips are also full of folic acid.
Other vegetables like carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus are good sources of folate as well.
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