Vitamin B9 (Folate)
What is it?
Vitamin B9 is water-soluble, meaning that it is soluble in water.
It is the star vitamin for pregnant women! It is essential for the formation of the placenta and the growth of the uterus during pregnancy.
This vitamin is also called folate because of its increased presence in the leaves of plants.
What are the health benefits?
- Reduces fatigue
- Contributes to the growth of maternal tissue during pregnancy
- Contributes to the proper functioning of the immune system
- Contributes to the normal synthesis of amino acids
- Folate plays a role in the process of cell division
In which foods?
– Chicken liver (578 µg/100g)
– Sunflower seed (254 µg/100g)
– Romaine lettuce (136 µg/100g)
– Spinach (125 µg/100g)
– Asparagus (101 µg/100g)
– Flaxseed (93,7 µg/100g)
Things to know!
The functional form is tetrahydrofolate. A vitamin B9 deficiency leads to a slowing down of DNA synthesis, as well as a slowing down of the maturation of red blood cells. The latter manifests itself by a macrocytic anemia (=large red blood cells).
During pregnancy, a deficiency leads to malformations in the nervous system of the fetus.