What is folic acid ? Does it really help to prevent a heart attack ?

Give alternatiave names of folic acid i.e. local or country names. Also tell in what food items the folic acid is present. How much folic acid do I need as daily intake. I am 56 and 186 pounds, with sligh B.P. problem.

Folic acid is a B vitamin, I think it is B8. Also called Folacin, and the natural form in foods is Folate. It is essential for the synthesis of DNA. Deficiency symptoms are constipation, anemia, slowed metabolism, fatigue, depression. Deficiency also can cause birth defects. Best sources include liver, green leafy vegetables, especially spinach, broccoli, peanuts. We typically need 4-600 micrograms (.4 - .6 milligrams) daily, but for people with high blood levels of homocycteine doctors usually recommend 800mcg or more. Yes, folic acid does help prevent a heart attack by reducing the homocycteine which greatly facilitates buildup of plaque in the arteries. B vitamins work together, so your doctor will probably want you to supplement your intake of B12 and B6. There is an Rx form called Foltx, but it might not have enough 12 and 6. Some people think that Folate, the natural form in foods, is much better than Folic Acid. It also is available in a supplement. Be sure to talk to your doctor first before beginning any B vitamin supplements. Also, if you take a multiple vitamin, check its contents, many include 400mcg of folic acid. Be careful of what you might read on the internet. There's at least one site that confused milligrams with grams.

http://health.yahoo.com/drug/d00241a1

folic acid is vitamin B 9

Folic Acid is a B vitamin and a crucial nutrient for the health of the heart and normal fetus development. Folic acid is a methyl donor needed to reduce homocysteine back to methionine and for accurate synthesis of DNA and normal cell division throughout life including during pregnancy. Healthful diets with adequate folic acid may reduce a woman鈥檚 risk of havinga child with certain brain or spinal cord defects. For More Info: http://www.herbs-wholesale.com/products/...

What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Folic acid helps the body make healthy new cells.

Why should women take folic acid?
All women need folic acid. When a woman has enough folic acid before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby鈥檚 brain or spine.

Be sure to get enough folic acid every day. Start before you are pregnant. Folic acid is needed during the first few weeks, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. And half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are not planned. That is why it鈥檚 so important to start taking folic acid each day, even when you are not planning to get pregnant.

Folic acid might also have other benefits for men and women of any age. Some studies show that folic acid might help prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and possibly Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.

How can women get folic acid?
All women should aim to get at least 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid each day. There are a few easy ways she can do this.