Folacin is present
in many forms in food. It is sometimes referred to as folic acid, or
folate.
The availability
to the body of folacin in food depends not only on the form, but also
on other food properties, such as acidity, the amount of dietary fibre
and the amount of carbohydrate.
Folacin is water
soluble and easily lost in discarded cooking water. It is also sensitive
to heat, to air or oxygen and to alkaline conditions.
Folacin, like vitamin
B-12, is involved in the formation of the genetic material of newly
forming cells and in protein formation. The consequences of deficiency
include anaemia
and defective lining of the gut, adversely affecting
absorption of many nutrients. Since the number of blood platelets (which
play a part in blood clotting) can be low with folacin deficiency, a
tendency to prolonged bleeding can also occur.
Those at risk from
folacin deficiency include users of certain medications (see
Figure 20),
pregnant women, the elderly and alcohol abusers.
FOLACIN
INTAKE