⭕️Folic acid (vitamin B9) is a water-soluble vitamin used to manage and treat megaloblastic anemia.

⭕️Doses and dosage form:

5mg tablets;400mcg;800mcg tablets

⭕️Indication:

important in red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function. The nutrient is crucial during early pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.

⭕️Mechanism of Action:

Folate is mainly concentrated in the liver.The synthetic form, folic acid, is given as dihydrofolate (DHF) and is converted to THF by the action of the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme, which depends on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH). THF then converts to 5-10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (5-10-MTHF), which can diverge down different paths: toward DNA synthesis via dTMP or methionine synthesis.

⭕️Adverse effects:

It is likely safe for most people to take folic acid in doses of no more than 1 mg daily. Doses higher than 1 mg daily may be unsafe. These doses might cause stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, irritability, confusion, behavior changes, skin reactions, seizures, 

🛑Reference: 

Lan X, Field MS, Stover PJ. Cell cycle regulation of folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med. 2018 Nov;10(6):e1426.