Vitamin B9

Chemical name:

Folic acid

Description

This water-soluble vitamin is very little synthesized and stored by the body. Folic acid (another name for vitamin B9) is found mainly in green leafy vegetables (hence the term "folic", from the Latin folium, meaning "leaf").

It is found in appreciable quantities in cereals (330 ug/100 g), certain cheeses, but also in animal livers (lamb, veal, poultry).

The recommended daily intake of vitamin B9 is around 300 µg for adults - 400 µg for pregnant or breastfeeding women. This vitamin is absolutely necessary for pregnant women in order to avoid malformations of the nervous system in the foetus, in particular the neural tube closure defect.

The Benefits

In addition to its action on reducing fatigue, vitamin B9 acts on the metabolism of amino acids and the synthesis of proteins.
It also contributes to the maintenance of normal psychological functions and the proper functioning of the immune system. During pregnancy, folic acid plays an important role in the growth of maternal tissue, cell division and blood formation.
In the cardiovascular sphere, folic acid prevents the formation of homocysteine, an amino acid which, in too high a concentration, becomes a risk factor likely to cause certain diseases, the relationship between excess homocysteine and cardiovascular pathologies having been demonstrated for many years.

THERASCIENCE special features

To guarantee optimal bioavailability, the THERASCIENCE Laboratory has chosen to use vitamin B9 in the coenzyme form, which makes this vitamin directly usable by the body's cells.

To find out more, click on B vitamins in coenzyme form.