Vitamin B9, also known as folate and folic acid, has many uses in the body. Folate is found in many common foods including beans and legumes, citrus fruits and juices, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables and poultry, pork and shellfish. Folic acid is the manufactured version of folate and is found in dietary supplements.

Dosage

Vitamin B9 is a water-soluble vitamin and any part of it unused leaves the body through urine. To avoid deficiency, you must get adequate amounts of the vitamin each day. Folate is plentiful in foods, so eating a balanced diet is a good way to get healthy amounts of the vitamin. Infants need between 65 and 80 micrograms per day, and as kids grow older need more each day. Males over the age of 14 should try to get 400 micrograms per day, and women between 14 and 50 should try to get as much as 800 micrograms a day. Pregnant women are usually advised to take higher amounts of the vitamin because there is good evidence that B9 reduces the risk of birth defects.

Benefits

Vitamin B9 works in conjunction with vitamins B12 and C to assist the body in the production, breakdown and use of new proteins. In addition, folate helps to create red blood cells and DNA. Another critical role is to help tissues grow and cells work properly. Evidence shows that folic acid helps relieve symptoms of deficiency, and can be used to treat certain menstrual problems and leg ulcers.

Deficiency

Deficiency of the vitamin may contribute to poor growth, gray hair, swollen tongue, ulcers, diarrhea and certain types of anemia, including megaloblastic anemia and macrocytic anemia. In addition, pregnancy complications can result from low levels of the vitamin. Specifically spina bifida, anencephaly, neural tube birth defects, cleft palate and even pregnancy loss are risks associated with deficiency.