Men need folate every day

All men need folate for good health. Folate is needed for new and developing cells no matter your age. You are always making new cells for your body like skin, blood, hair, gut and other cells.

Men need folate every day for good health. Folate may help reduce the risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, certain cancers and Alzheimer's disease.

Health benefits of folate

Folate also has been associated with reducing the risk for some chronic diseases. Studies show that higher levels of homocysteine (pronounced hoe-moe-SIS-teen), an amino acid found in the blood, may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. Folate can help to reduce the amount of homocysteine in blood, which may help reduce the risk for heart disease.

Emerging research shows that folate may help to reduce the risk for:

• • Cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease and stroke.
  
• • Certain cancers such as breast and cervical*.
  
• • Diseases that affect the brain or mental function such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and depression.
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* Benefits were seen for women who have other risk factors for this disease, such as a family history (breast cancer), high intake of alcoholic beverages (breast cancer), or infection with human Papillomavirus (cervical cancer).

There is some controversy as to whether folic acid is associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer or developing pre-cancerous adenomas (polyps). If you are at higher risk for colorectal cancer (e.g., over age 50, have a family history, have been previously diagnosed with polyps or colorectal cancer), make sure you see your doctor to discuss having regular screenings for precancerous adenomas, which can reduce the chances of developing colorectal cancer.

Although research has not confirmed that folate can reduce the rates of these serious diseases, studies so far have shown promising results.
Click here to learn more about folate and chronic diseases.

How much folate men need

The Institute of Medicine has established the following Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for folate:

Age Group	Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) Micrograms DFE* per day
Teenage Boys (14-18 yrs)	400
Men (19 yrs and older)	400

Source: Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. National Academy Press, Washington DC, 1998.
*DFE = dietary folate equivalents.

Ways to get the folate you need

Fast-paced lifestyles, fast food and dieting to lose weight are all things that can make it harder to get the folate you need every day. Here are ways to get your "healthy portion" of folate:

• Include folate-rich foods (for example, dark green
leafy vegetables, legumes such as dried beans and
peas, and orange juice) as part of a healthy,
balanced diet. It's a great way to help you get the
folate you need every day. As an added bonus,
these foods contribute to good health in other
ways because they are:

Good sources of other vitamins and minerals
Higher in fiber
Lower in fat
Cholesterol-free
Lower in sodium

• Include fortified grain products in your diet, like enriched cereals, breads and pastas.

• Take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. (Check the label to be sure.)

Click here to see a list of foods and their folate content. Click here for recipes.

Folic acid can reduce the risk of birth defects

• Folate may be important for men's reproductive health and has been associated with higher sperm counts and density (Wallock et al. 2001).

• Folic acid may help to reduce the risk of having a baby with certain birth defects of the brain and spinal cord called neural tube defects. Folic acid also may help to reduce the risk of other birth defects including defects of the heart, face, urinary tract, and limbs. All women of childbearing age should take folic acid for prevention of these defects.

• Support all the women in your life that you love - wife/partner, daughters, granddaughters, mothers, sisters, aunts and others. Remind them to take a daily multivitamin with folic acid.

• Remember, whether you are planning to have children or not, whether you are hoping for grandchildren or not - about half of all pregnancies are unplanned! So, it is especially important for the women of childbearing age in your life to get enough folic acid every day.