Aunt Wang, 52 years old, since retiring 2 years ago, she and her wife have lived a leisurely life in old age. Few envied.
But this comfortable life was “broken” at the moment when the little granddaughter was born: the son and daughter-in-law were too busy with work, so they wanted to ask Aunt Wang for help. with children.
Although she was reluctant in her heart, she was her granddaughter after all, and she didn’t want her son to be too embarrassed. In the end, Aunt Wang agreed.
But after only 3 months, Auntie Wang felt exhausted and occasionally dizzy< /strong>. Because of her little granddaughter, she couldn’t eat or sleep well, and she was quite haggard.
One day, she managed to coax her little granddaughter to sleep. Auntie Wang just wanted to get up to take a bath, but she fainted. After her daughter was found, she was rushed to the doctor. After examination, Aunt Wang was diagnosed with anemia.
The doctor prescribed folic acid for Aunt Wang Go back to eat with vitamin B12, tell her to stick to it for a while, and usually pay attention to the combination of work and rest, and don’t work too hard. And because of the fainting incident, the son also realized that his mother’s body could not handle such a buildup, so he invited a Yuesao to take care of the child.
And after aunt Wang insisted on taking it for 2 months, the state of the whole person has recovered significantly, not only the sleep has improved, but the previous All discomfort is gone.
Folic acid is generally mentioned, and it is associated with pregnant women. After all, every woman is inseparable from folic acid during pregnancy. But in fact, many doctors recommend that middle-aged and elderly people supplement folic acid more. Why?
I. Why do middle-aged and elderly people also need to supplement folic acid?
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the brain has been in a stage of rapid growth in the first 3 months after birth, especially when it reaches its peak at the age of 25. After that, the number of brain nerve cells will decline year by year, especially after the age of 30, the decline is very significant, And after the age of 65, the risk of Alzheimer’s will greatly increase< /strong>.
And a recent study found that Low blood folate levels in older adults may increase the risk of dementia or death.
The study analyzed the medical records of 270 million middle-aged and elderly people aged 60-75 and found that 12.6% had folic acid deficiency.Those who were deficient in folic acid were 68% more likely to develop dementia than those with normal folic acid levelsand were nearly 100% more likely to die from any cause 3 times.
Therefore, Cheng Xiaoshu, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, reminded: middle-aged and elderly people should supplement folic acid in time, and folic acid supplementation can effectively reduce the level of homocysteine , and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
At the same time, appropriate supplementation of folic acid in the elderly can help improve menopausal symptoms, prevent anemia and gynecological malignancies, etc. >.
Second, a small piece of folic acid has a big effect
Although folic acid is only a small piece, its effect is not small. What exactly is “holy”?
Simply put, it is also a kind of vitamin, called vitamin B9, which is indispensable for the growth and division of cells in the human body, the reproductive period, and the development of the neural tube of the female embryo during pregnancy. of a large substance.
With the development of modern scientific research and the progress of medical level, many new clinical effects of folic acid have also been discovered.
1. Reducing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
Chinese residents have significant dietary Lack of green leafy vegetables intake, so folic acid intake is generally insufficient, and insufficient folic acid intake can significantly increase the level of HCY and further induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, especially stroke.
2. Treatment of senile anemia< /p>
With age, the human hematopoietic system will also degenerate to varying degrees, so senile anemia is more likely to occur, and if folic acid is lacking, the risk of the disease is greater.
Therefore, in order to treat anemia, it is very necessary to supplement enough folic acid, which is one of the raw materials for the body’s hematopoiesis.
3. Treatment of oral ulcers
Folic acid can accelerate the growth of epithelial cells and mucosal tissue Speed of repair, for oral ulcersUlcer treatment has a certain effect. Patients with oral ulcers can take folic acid under the guidance of a physician.
4. Improve sperm quality
If a male friend lacks folic acid, it will affect the The concentration of semen reduces the mobility of sperm and increases the difficulty of pregnancy. Therefore, men with fertility plans can also pay attention to appropriate supplementation of folic acid to improve sperm quality.
3. How to supplement folic acid correctly? The method is shared with you
Although folic acid is good, how to supplement it is a university question. Before supplementing folic acid, you must understand these points clearly.
1. Sufficient amount should be added
- pregnant women span>:Under normal circumstances, from trying to conceive or at least 3 months before pregnancy, it is necessary to start preparing folic acid supplements.In general, eat 400- 800mcg is fine until the third trimester of pregnancy.
- Middle-aged and elderly: Because natural folic acid is susceptible to oxidation by sunlight, heating and other factors, it is extremely unlikely Stable, so special populations should also pay attention to supplementing folic acid supplements. Especially middle-aged and elderly people are at high risk of folic acid deficiency.It is recommended to consume 5-15mg of folic acid per day.
2. Daily food supplements
Food supplements are also a type of folic acid supplement Effective ways, especially green leafy vegetables, which are rich in folic acid, such as lettuce, spinach, rape, spinach, cauliflower, cauliflowerWait, I suggest everyone to eat more.
3. These three situations are not suitable for supplementation< /strong>
Folic acid is not suitable for everyone, such as:
①Those who are allergic to folic acid and its metabolites;< /p>
②Folic acid intolerance;
③The megaloblastic anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency should not be treated by folic acid supplement alone.
It needs to be reminded that although folic acid is good, it should not be supplemented in excess, otherwise it may cause toxic side effects, affect the absorption of zinc, and lead to fetal intrauterine growth retardation and newborns. Low birth weight occurs.
And excessive folic acid supplementation may also make people unable to detect early symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency in time, which may damage nerves in the long run.
Summary: Although folic acid is good, it is not a “miracle drug”. The needs can be supplemented on time and in the amount under the guidance of a doctor. Normal people can eat more green leafy vegetables to achieve the amount of folic acid required by the body.
References:
[1] “Data from 27,000 people shows that the elderly who lack this vitamin have a high risk of dementia! “. Health Times. 2022-03-27
[2] “Vitamin B9 is also “called a god”? “.Health World.2021-05-05
[3]”Folic acid for 9 yuan and 299 yuan, what’s the difference? 》.Health Times .2017-12-03
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