- Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, which is a naturally occurring B vitamin. Folate helps make DNA and other genetic material. It is especially important in prenatal health.
- Folate, also called vitamin B-9, is a B vitamin that naturally occurs in certain foods. Folic acid is the form of folate that manufacturers add to vitamin supplements and fortified foods.
- It helps the body make healthy new red blood cells.
- In its deficiency a person can develop anemia, leading to fatigue, weakness, and a pale complexion.
- It leads to folate deficiency anemia.
- Folate is also important for the synthesis and repair of DNA and other genetic material.
- It is particularly important to get during pregnancy. Folate deficiency during pregnancy can lead to neural tube irregularities, such as spina bifida and anencephaly.
- Folic acid is crucial for early fetal development.
- Neural tube irregularities - Taking folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy will help prevent neural tube irregularities in the fetus.
- It may also reduce the risks of preterm birth, heart irregularities, and cleft palate, among other things.
- Depression - Taking folic acid supplements could make depression medications more effective.
- The Office on Women’s Health recommend that women who are or might become pregnant take 400–800 mcg of folic acid per day, and that people with spina bifida or a family history of neural tube irregularities take 4,000 mcg per day. Those who are breastfeeding should aim to take around 500 mcg per day.
- The body absorbs folic acid from supplements and fortified foods better than the folate from naturally occurring foods.
Skin reactions, seizures, gases problem, diarrhea, irritability, confusion, stomach upset, loss of appetite, and hypersensitivity
It is important to note that folic acid can interact with certain medications.
A person should speak to a doctor before taking folic acid if they have any of the following:
- Epilepsy
- Type 2 diabetes
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus
- Inflammatory bowel disease (ibd)
- Celiac disease
People undergoing kidney dialysis may also wish to avoid taking folic acid.
Biotin is a B complex vitamin used as a nutritional supplementation for dietary shortage or imbalance which may cause hair loss or total alopecia, brittle nails, skin rash in infants, and mild depression.
Biotin is a form of vitamin B that provides essential nutrients.
Major & minor side effects for Biotin
- Hypersensitivity
- Stomach discomfort and pain
- Skin rash
This medicine is considered safe for consumption by pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Use of this medicine in children should be done only under your doctor's supervision.
The effect of therapy with Biotin may occur 3 to 6 months after starting the therapy.
Dialysis patients may require a higher dose due to drug removal during dialysis.
- Vitamin E is essential to the normal functioning of the human body. It plays a central role in your immune system and functions as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals that damage cells at the genetic level.
- Vitamin E is fat-soluble, meaning that it is dissolved in fat and able to be stored in the liver and fatty tissues of the body.
- Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant (i.e., an inhibitor of oxidation processes) in body tissues. It protects unsaturated fats in the body from oxidation by peroxides and other free radicals. It also acts as an protection of polyunsaturated fatty acids, cell membranes.
- The vitamin is used commercially as an antioxidant to retard the rancidification of fats, especially vegetable oils.
- Vitamin E aids in the transmission of electrical signals between nerve cells (neurons) of the brain and body.
- Vitamin E is integral to eye health, aiding in the self-repair of the retina, cornea, and uvea (the pigmented portion of the eye).
- Vitamin E can aid in scar healing by hydrating the skin, inhibiting collagen production, and reducing inflammation that can lead to tissue damage.
Vitamin E supplements rarely cause any harm if taken at the recommended daily dose.
But sometimes lower doses can trigger side effects like
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- stomach pain,
- diarrhea.
- Slow down blood clotting
- Vitamin E deficiency is considered rare in the developed world, except in premature babies with low birth weight or in people with rare genetic disorders such as abetalipoproteinemia or ataxia with vitamin E deficiency.
- VitaminE can neither treat nor prevent liver disease but may help slow its progression.
- VitaminE can slow blood clotting and may need to be avoided in people taking blood thinners like Coumadin (warfarin) or Plavix (clopidogrel).
- VitaminE supplements should also be avoided in people with a history of heart attacks, stroke, bleeding disorders, or head and neck cancers.
- VitaminE supplements are presumed to be safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.