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Vitamin B9 - Coggle Diagram
Vitamin B9
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PROPERTIES
heat stable, but some loss during cooking
destroyed by alkalis, oxygen and light
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BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
- maintains the immune system by helping the white blood cells to fight illness and infection
- works with B12 to form red blood cells
- needed during pregnancy to form the brain of the foetus and to close the end of its spinal cord
EFFECTS OF DEFICIENCY
- neural tube defects (NTD's) in the foetus
anencephaly occurs when the top of the spine fails to close, and the brain, skull and scalp do not develop. Babies with this are not likely to survive
spina bifida occurs when the base of the spine fails to close, causing paralysis of the lower limbs
- tiredness and fatigue due to lack of red blood cells and in severe cases anaemia may occur
- increased susceptibility to illness and infection
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OTHER SOURCES
women are advised to take daily folic acid supplements (400μg) for 12 weeks prior to conception and the first 12 weeks of pregnancy
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