Folic acid is a synthetic version of vitamin B-9 and rarely causes an overdose, but excessive intake can lead to sleep problems, indigestion, diarrhea, and masking a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Fortified foods contribute significantly to a higher daily intake of folic acid, and it is recommended that all women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.
Folic acid is a synthetic version of vitamin B-9 folic acid and is rarely involved in an overdose situation. B-9 is a water-soluble vitamin, so it is regularly excreted in the urine, preventing elevated levels from building up unless doses of 1,000 micrograms or more are consumed per day for a long period of time. There are consequences associated with taking too much folic acid, such as developing a zinc deficiency, sleep problems, indigestion, diarrhea, and masking a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Additionally, people with heart disease are at increased risk of heart attacks when overdose levels of B-9 are reached.
When vitamin B-12 is lacking in the diet and supplements are not produced, too much folic acid has the potential to mask this deficiency. Under the microscope, cells affected by B-12 deficiency will look identical to cells affected by too much folic acid. If the B-12 imbalance is not corrected, nerve damage can occur because B-12 is an active nutrient and vital in the growth and protection of the nervous system.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that the human body cannot manufacture. It must be taken as a supplement or received as a byproduct of digested food. Although one cannot achieve excessive levels of B-9 by eating foods that naturally contain folate, too much folic acid from supplements and foods that have been fortified with the vitamin can cause an overdose.
In the United States, folic acid deficiencies were not uncommon prior to 1996, when the US Food and Drug Administration mandated that the vitamin be added to cereals, flour, pasta, bread, rice, cornmeal and other grains. The FDA’s goal was to reduce neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, and other birth disorders by correcting folic acid deficiencies in women of childbearing age. The program is believed to have contributed to a reduction in the number of birth defects in the US It is recommended that all women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, and pregnant and lactating women should receive 600 micrograms per day.
Fortified foods contribute significantly to a higher daily intake of folic acid. One must consider this when calculating appropriate microgram levels, especially for women who are pregnant. These foods have a logo on the package indicating that folic acid has been added, and the amount is listed on the nutritional value panel.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
