The Relationship Between Folic Acid And Zinc Deficiency
Zinc is an essential mineral that serves many important functions in the human body. Zinc helps children grow properly, aids in protein synthesis, serves as an antioxidant, repairs wounds, improves immune system health, and maintains eye sight. These are just a sampling of the many vital benefits zinc provides in our lives. In fact, humans could not sustain life without this precious element. This is why zinc deficiency is so dangerous. Some common signs associated with this condition include hair loss, diarrhea, skin lesions, growth retardation, pneumonia, muscle loss, and eventually death. Another negative by-product of zinc deficiency is the body's inability to properly use folic acid. What is the relationship between folic acid and zinc deficiency? Let's take a look.
What Is Folic Acid?
Folic Acid is an essential B vitamin required for cell reproduction and growth, as well as a necessity in the production of red blood cells. Some fine sources of folate include green vegetables, citrus fruits, meat, and fortified breakfast cereals. Folic acid can also be taken in a supplement form, but there are a few minor side effects to be aware of. People taking folic acid supplements may experience intestinal problems, slight allergic reactions, and difficulty sleeping. Now, let's turn our attention towards the relationship between folic acid and zinc deficiency.
Zinc and Folate Working Together
In a healthy body, folic acid and zinc work together to carry out the important functions that folate serves (protein synthesis, immune system health, and red blood cell production). However, in a person with a zinc deficiency, folate from food sources can not be properly converted into free folic acid and is thus rendered useless. This leads to many of the problems associated with both zinc deficiency (mentioned earlier) and folate deficiency.
As you can see, it is important to maintain a healthy diet that meets the daily value needs of both these substances. In taking preventative measures, you can ensure a healthy relationship between folic acid, zinc, and all the other essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs to survive.
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