Folic Acid Benefits for Heart Health
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is synthetic form of the water-soluble vitamin B9. Folate is the natural form of this vitamin found in foods. There is debate surrounding which form of vitamin B9 is healthiest – folic acid versus folate, but I don’t want to explore that argument today. For the sake of our discussion, folic acid is equal to folate and I’m using the terms interchangeably.
Folic acid plays an important role in energy production and the immune system.
What folic acid benefits are connected to heart disease?
Homocysteine is an amino acid that comes from the normal breakdown of proteins in the body. Folic acid is one vitamin supporting the breakdown of amino acids. Research has suggested that deficiencies of folic acid and other B vitamins lead to elevated homocysteine levels, which has been evaluated as a potential risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
How much folic acid do you need daily?
