September 14, 2010

Folic Acid: Not Only For Pregnancy!

Folate is a B vitamin that helps create new cells in your body. As most of you probably know, it is strongly recommended by almost everyone that a pregnant woman take lots of Folic Acid during her pregnancy. Folic Acid is a synthetic form of Folate, found in dietary vitamins & supplements. Folic Acid helps prevent birth defects, and helps the health of the heart.

Recently, folate has also been linked to better hearing & preventing hearing loss with age. A recent study found that people with low levels of folate in their blood had a 36% higher risk of developing hearing loss because of getting older. This is good news, since hearing loss is such a common occurrence in the elderly!

Folate is found in healthy foods like green leafy vegetables, chickpeas, & lentils. You can also find it in supplements as folic acid. Experts suggest that all women of child-bearing age (and not just pregnant women) should be taking a folic acid supplement.

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