What is folic acid , where to find it and how it helps to rduce heart disease ?

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What it is -
This water-soluble B vitamin, also called folacin or folate, was first identified in the 1940s when it was extracted from spinach. Because the body can't store it very long, you need to replenish your supply daily. Cooking, or even long storage, can destroy up to half the folic acid in foods, so supplements may be the best way to get enough of this vital nutrient.

What it does-
In the body, folic acid is utilized thousands of times a day to make blood cells, heal wounds, build muscle -- in fact, it's necessary for every function that requires cell division. Folic acid is critical to DNA and RNA formation and assures that cells duplicate normally. It is especially important in fetal development and helps produce key chemicals for the brain and nervous system.

How it helps to reduce heart disease-
This B vitamin also appears to regulate the body's production and use of homocysteine, an amino acid-like substance that at high levels may damage the lining of blood vessels, making them more susceptible to plaque buildup. This makes folic acid an important weapon against heart disease.

Common use -
Protects against birth defects.
Reduces heart disease and stroke risk.
Lowers risk for several cancers.

Shopping hint-
Buy a folic acid supplement that also contains vitamin B12 (too much of one can mask a deficiency in the other). A combination supplement may be less expensive than buying each vitamin separately.

Dosage -
For overall good health and the prevention of heart disease: Take a dose of 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid a day. For people with depression: Take 400 mcg a day, as part of a vitamin B-complex supplement.

Guidelines for use -
Folic acid can be taken at any time of the day, with or without food. When taking individual folic acid supplements for any reason, combine it with an additional 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12 to prevent a B12 deficiency.

Any Wal - mart store or health store ,pretty common. I know its good for hair, don't know about heart.

I AM

Folic acid is necessary for making DNA and for proper production of red blood cells, among other vital body functions. It is recommended that any woman who is planning to become pregnant take at least 0.4 mg of folic acid daily to prevent spinal cord defects in the baby. Interestingly, the birth control pill seems to decrease absorption of folic acid from the diet. Anyone on the pill should also take a daily multivitamin containing folic acid. Generally, most flour is enriched with folic acid. It is controversial whether folic acid helps to reduce the risk of heart disease. The theory is that it reduces levels of homocysteine, which may be linked to heart disease. That has yet to be proven and is not yet a national recommendation.

Folic acid and folate (the anion form) are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. These occur naturally in food and can also be taken as supplements. Folate gets its name from the Latin word folium, leaf.

Leaf vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sun flower seeds and some other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate. Some breakfast cereals (ready-to-eat and others) are fortified with 25 percent or 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for folic acid. A table of selected food sources of folate and folic acid can be found at the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

Folic acid and heart disease

Low concentrations of folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6 may increase your level of homocysteine, an amino acid normally found in your blood. There is evidence that an elevated homocysteine level is an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke.The evidence suggests that high levels of homocysteine may damage coronary arteries or make it easier for blood clotting cells called platelets to clump together and form a clot.However, there is currently no evidence available to suggest that lowering homocysteine with vitamins will reduce your risk of heart disease. Clinical intervention trials are needed to determine whether supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B12 or vitamin B6 can lower your risk of developing coronary heart disease. The NORVIT trialsuggests that folic acid supplementation may do more harm than good.

As of 2006, studies have shown that giving folic acid to reduce levels of homocysteine does not result in clinical benefit and suggests that in combination with B12 may even increase some cardiovascular risks.

That's My Best Answer! Hope it can help!