TABLE OF CONTENT
CONTENTS PAGE
Title Page – – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgements – – – – – – iv
Table of Contents – – – – – – – vi
CHAPTER ONE
- INTRODUCTION – – – – – 1
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 HISTORY OF FOLIC ACID – – – – 4
- Sources of Folic Acid – – – – – 6
- Dietary Recommendation of Folic Acid – – 7
- Metabolism of Folic Acid – – – – 9
- Biosynthesis of Folic Acid – – – – 9
- Bioactivation of Folic Acid – – – – 12
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 DEFICIENCY OF FOLIC ACID – – – 15
- Therapeutical Uses of Folic Acid – – – 18
- Birth Defect – – – – – – – 18
- Fertility – – – – – – – 20
- Heart Disease – – – – – – 21
- Stroke – – – – – – – 21
- Cancer – – – – – – – 22
- Malaria – – – – – – – 24
CHAPTER FOUR
- SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND REFERENCES 25
- Summary and Conclusion – – – – 25
References
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and storage (Welch, 2002). Folate is required for the body to make DNA and RNA and metabolise amino acids necessary for cell division. As humans cannot make folate, it is required in the diet, making it an essential nutrient. It occurs naturally in many foods. The recommended adult daily intake of folate in the U.S. is 400 micrograms from foods or dietary supplements (Grossmanet al., 2017). Folate in the form of folic acid is used to treat anemia caused by folate deficiency. Folic acid is also used as a supplement by women during pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the baby. Low levels in early pregnancy are believed to be the cause of more than half of babies born with NTDs (Waldet al., 2018). More than 80 countries use either