NUSCTX 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Vitamin B12 Deficiency, Folate Deficiency, Folic Acid
23 Jul 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Required by primates (including humans) and by guinea pigs. The framework of bone, skin and gums. Doses above 200mg may cause intestinal discomfort. Anemia (without blood) - low blood hemoglobin. Converted to reduced folate derivatives and metabolized to coenzyme forms. Folic acid is more stable than naturally occurring phosphates. Folic acid is added to food almost twice as bioavailable as food folates. Synthesis of nucleotides involved in rna and dna synthesis and dna repair. Amino acid metabolism including homocysteine conversion to methionine (also requires. B12) and methylation pathways involved in gene regulation. Results in fewer but enlarged red blood cells. Shows common symptoms of anemia including weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, headache, shortness of breath. Folate deficiency affects all fast growing cells including the intestinal mucosa leading to malabsorption of other nutrients. Fairly common in pregnancy -- many pregnant women show megaloblastic blood changes which disappear after pregnancy. Poor folate status may impair cognitive function in the elderly.
