Wednesday, May 30, 2012

What are the Symptoms of Deficiency of Vitamin B9?

B-complex are water-soluble vitamins. They dissolve easily in water and are carried through bloodstream and excreted through urine. So, it is necessary that it should be added in your diet for proper functioning of the body. Vitamin B9 is one of the member of the B-complex or B vitamins.

Vitamin B9 or folate( naturally occurred) or folic acid(man-made) functions as a co enzyme during the synthesis of genetic material called DNA. It is also a vital component for cellular division, and the normal growth, development, function, and reproduction of all cells. It plays a vital role in all processes that cell division depends on.

People get deficiency, if they do not eat enough food which contains Vitamin B9 or Foliate. Sometimes symptoms are seen and sometimes symptoms do not occur even if they are deficient in this vitamin.

The deficiency symptoms include diarrhea, gray hair, mouth ulcers, peptic ulcer, poor growth, anemia, mood disorders, depression due to lower levels of neurotransmitters, weakness, fatigue, problems breathing, anorexia, weight loss, headaches, and palpitations, glossitis, gastrointestinal disorders, serious skin disorders, loss of hair, impaired circulation, a greyish brown skin pigmentation, and swollen tongue may occur.

Pregnant women who are deficient in this vitamin are at greater risk of giving birth to infants who have a low birth weight, are premature, and/or babies who suffer from neural tube defects( NTD) such as cleft palate, spina bifida, or even brain damage. NTD impacts almost more than 4000 pregnancies in the United States every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and the United States Public Health Service, daily intake of 400 micrograms of Folic acid could possibly prevention of 70% of birth defects.

So, include this vitamin B9 or folate or folic acid in your daily diet in order to get rid of the defects and deficiencies caused by this vitamin.

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