Why do women need folic acid?

Folic acid is found in spinach, lentils, fruits like melon, and also in avocado. This vitamin B9, because folate, from which folic acid is synthesized, is part of the B vitamin group, helps your hair, skin, and nails regenerate. Although any adult should consume 400 micrograms daily, it is especially discussed why women need folic acid.The best way to consume folic acid, like many other nutrients, is through food. However, recommendations for folic acid supplements are made when it comes to women of childbearing age, which is usually considered to be the period from a woman's first menstruation to menopause.While a woman of childbearing age requires, like anyone else, a certain amount of daily folate intake, the consumption of supplements with this vitamin is only recommended by health professionals to women who plan to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding. So now, why do women need folic acid?Folic acid helps prevent anemia and several significant birth defects, such as spina bifida or anencephaly, this is the main reason why women need folic acid.The recommendation from the Mexican Social Security Institute is to take this vitamin as a supplement from three to six months before pregnancy, but also during the first trimester of gestation. Sometimes, pregnant women may take it throughout the entire pregnancy to prevent neurological problems in the baby, not only in the brain but also in the nervous system, which can also affect the spine.But folic acid in pregnant women not only benefits the baby but also helps them avoid anemia. Some of the symptoms that may occur when there is a deficiency of this vitamin include fatigue, headache, pallor, mouth or tongue ulcers, sleep disorders, and memory loss.Since this vitamin is crucial for the cellular work that our body performs and for tissue growth, paying attention to the consumption of foods that include it is very important, both for men and women, even when there are no plans for pregnancy.The best way is to eat it in raw vegetables and fruits, such as spinach, broccoli, lettuce, avocado, orange, banana, grapefruit, or almonds, but you can also find it in animal products, such as liver, which must be cooked on a grill to be beneficial.As part of the nutrients that make our body function, we should consume a diet rich in foods with folates, but this vitamin should specifically not be lacking for women when planning a pregnancy, as it is proven to help babies develop optimally.