Are Folic Acid Side Effects Serious?

Folic acid side effects are relatively mild for the most part when taken in proper dosages. However, it is important that you learn the best ways to take this vitamin and what effects it has on your body.

What is folic acid?

Also known as Vitamin B9, is an important member of the B Family of vitamins that is essential for many different processes in the body. Specifically, it can help prevent heart disease and inhibit colon cancer.

As you may know vitamins are important compounds that are necessary for many body processes, and are not found naturally within the body. Therefore it is necessary to get all of your vitamins from outside sources.

Where can you get vitamin B9 from?

Although food is a major source of folic acid (fruits and vegetables, as well as beans, seeds and nuts), it is interesting to note that the body can better absorb folic acid in supplement form than in the folate form found in the foods we eat.

Also, most of us do not follow a healthy diet and eat a lot of fast food and junk food, rendering us vitamin deficient.

Vitamin deficiencies can lead to many diseases and medical problems. Therefore it is necessary for most people to supplement vitamins to make sure they are getting the amounts that they need to maintain proper health.

Are there any side effects to contend with?

There are a few possible adverse reactions to contend with. These may include altered sleep patterns and intestinal problems.

Other side effects may include confusion, impaired judgement and allergic reactions.

Should you take folic acid on its own or as part of a more comprehensive product?

It is always better to take vitamins and minerals together rather than on their own. This has been shown to be the best way to yield the optimal health benefits for your body, for many reasons:

1) Many vitamins and minerals work synergistically together, and in fact some cannot work at all without each other.

For example, although folic acid is essential for the body, long term use can decrease the amount of zinc and Vitamin B12 in the body. So it is important to take zinc and Vitamin B12 with folic acid.

2) Many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can enhance the therapeutic benefits of each other.

For example, folic acid can help prevent heart disease much more effectively with cholesterol lowering nutrients such as policosanol, and ginger extract that can improve circulation.

Finding a High Quality Folic Acid Supplement

If you are interested in taking a B9 supplement, you should look for one that has pure, natural folic acid.

Most multivitamins on the market do not contain natural vitamins, but rather the synthetic versions. Avoid these vitamins at all costs. Synthetic versions are half as powerful as natural versions.

Here's an example:

In a clinical trial, natural beta carotene (from which Vitamin A is derived) was tested against synthetic beta carotene. The natural beta carotene was shown to eliminate tumors; the synthetic had absolutely no effect.

Most store-bought multivitamins are manufactured from synthetic sources because they are much cheaper to produce. But these supplements do not offer the same therapeutic benefits.

More importantly, synthetic vitamins can be dangerous to your health because many of them are made from unhealthy sources and could contain harmful contaminants. You can minimize serious potential folic acid side effects with natural vitamins.

So what should you look for?

The ideal supplement will have a balance of important vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients, all drawn from natural sources. The ingredients will be formulated synergistically to offer the maximum therapeutic benefits.

Some other important things to look for:

The supplement should be manufactured under strict GMP compliance, which are the highest manufacturing standards in the world. This ensures the quality and effectiveness of the ingredients.

The supplement should contain standardized herbal extracts, the purest herbal extracts with the highest quality and therapeutic benefits. Herbal extracts contain more powerful antioxidants than most vitamins.

All of the ingredients should be supported with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) which guarantees their potency and safety.

Lastly, an ideal supplement should be developed by a highly-credentialed product formulator who can blend these ingredients perfectly to ensure that they do not interact adversely and will offer the maximum benefits to your body.

We have found a health supplement that meets all of these requirements. It is called Total Balance Unisex and it contains natural folic acid as well as all of the other essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients. Many of these nutrients help folic acid prevent heart disease and cancer, as well as promote general well-being.

Many of our editors as well as our visitors have experienced success with Total Balance. They have used Total Balance for its folic acid and other essential vitamins as well as for its many other therapeutic benefits.

As with all health supplements, be sure to consult your physician or qualified medical professional before taking any folic acid or vitamin supplement. Side effects are generally mild, and if you do experience them they usually subside in a short period of time. It is important that you find a high quality folic acid product to avoid possible negative reactions that could be caused by poor quality ingredients or contamination.

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