Vitamin B9
Vitamin B9 is rarely called B9 — it’s almost always referred to as folic acid or folate. See, you were taking B9 when you didn’t even realize it
What Does Vitamin B9 Do in the Body?
The most famous use of folic acid is as a supplement for pregnant women, to help their baby’s nervous system develop properly, But pregnancy isn’t the only reason for taking B9 — not by a long shot!
Folic acid is absolutely necessary for DNA replication in the body, no matter what your age. You’ve undoubtedly seen a bad photocopy at some point in your life, how it distorted or otherwise messed up a perfectly good original? Picture your DNA getting messed up because you aren’t taking in enough B9.
If that wasn’t enough, folic acid is also necessary for creating healthy red blood cells, which are needed for ferrying oxygen around your body. A lack of healthy reg blood cells can result in anemia.
Are You at Risk?
If you’re not taking a supplement and fall into any of these categories, you may be at risk for a Vitamin B9 deficiency:
- Pregnant or nursing
- Young children
- Regularly drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day
- Sunbathe (sun or tanning booth) and are fair complected
- Poor or otherwise unbalanced diet
- Hate veggies
- Smoking or other tobacco use
- Celiac disease or other gastrointestinal disorders
- Taking prescription medications for seizures, arthritis, cancer
Signs of Folic Acid Deficiency
Here are some of the possible signs of a Vitamin B9 deficiency:
- Chronic fatigue
- Unexplained loss of appetite and weight
- Sore tongue
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Diarrhea
- Heart palpitations
- Change in behavior, unusual or disruptive behavior
- Depression, confusion
Foods Rich in Vitamin B9
This is one vitamin where most people should probably take a supplement for insurance, but if you’d rather get your folic acid naturally, you can eat:
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Dried peas and beans
- Fortified breakfast cereals and other fortified grains
- Sunflower seeds
- Beef liver
- Okra
- Orange juice
- Cauliflower
Now you see why I said anyone who hates veggies is at risk for a folic acid deficiency — vegetables are a large source of this vitamin.
Can You Take Too Much?
While you can take too much folic acid, you would have to take many, many, many times the RDA — you won’t get too much B9 by accident, or by taking several supplements that include B9.
The one caution would be pregnant or nursing women — take the amount specified by your doctor to ensure you don’t have problems.
But if you do by chance down a bottle or two a day of folic acid supplements, you may just end up with a deficiency of another important B vitamin — B12.
