Vitamin B9 is commonly known as folic acid or folate, and also folacin. Folate is found naturally in food, while folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements and fortified food. Vitamin B9 was used clinically in 1945, after proving effective in the treatment of conditions like anemia.
Folic acid is stable in acid solutions and soluble in water. It is destroyed rapidly when heated in alkaline or neutral substances, as well as by overcooking and some food processing methods, sunlight and sulphur drugs. Some anti-convulsant drugs used to treat epilepsy reduce the folate content in the blood. Some other drugs too hinder folate metabolism. Almost half of the folic acid stored in the body is found in the liver.
Functions of Folic Acid
Vitamin B9 is one of the most important vitamins of the B group, especially for pregnant and lactating women. It is required for the growth and division of nerve cells and other body cells, and manufacturing nerve transmitters. It boosts normal growth by helping in protein metabolism.
