Health-and-Nutrition/C2/Importance-of-Folate/English-timed

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Time
Narration
00:00 Welcome to the spoken tutorial on the importance of folate.
00:05 In this tutorial we will learn about:
00:09 Role of folate in the body.
00:12 Effects of folate deficiency.
00:15 Requirements of folate for different age groups.
00:20 Vitamin B9 is an important water soluble B vitamin.
00:25 It has two forms:folate and folic acid.
00:30 Folate is the natural form and is found naturally in foods.
00:35 Folate is also produced by bacteria in our intestines.
00:41 Whereas, folic acid is the synthetic form.
00:45 It is found in chemically enriched foods or supplements.
00:51 Folate is easily absorbed in our body as compared to folic acid.
00:58 We will now see the role of folate in our body and
01:02 the effect of its deficiency.
01:05 Folate is essential for various functions in our body.
01:09 Our body needs it for growth, repair, division and production of new cells.
01:18 Folate helps in lowering the homocysteine levels.
01:23 Homocysteine is a type of amino acid used to make protein.
01:29 High homocysteine levels impairs cognitive function.
01:34 It also damages the blood vessels of the heart.
01:39 This increases the risk of heart diseases.
01:43 Thus, folate helps in maintaining heart and cognitive function.
01:48 It is also required for a healthy pregnancy
01:51 and for closure of the neural tube.
01:55 The neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord of the baby.
02:01 Failure in closure of neural tubes may result in neural tube defects.
02:07 Neural tube defects are the birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.
02:13 The two most common neural tube defects are anencephaly and spina bifida.
02:20 In anencephaly, parts of a baby’s brain and skull do not form correctly.
02:27 In spina bifida, the baby's spine does not develop properly.
02:33 Thus, the baby can have physical disabilities.
02:38 They may develop muscle weakness of the legs and paralysis.
02:43 Curved spine and loss of urinary bladder control are other symptoms.
02:49 Difficulty in eating and swallowing is also common.
02:55 They may also have difficulty in learning and paying attention.
03:00 Closure of the neural tube takes place within 28 days of conception.
03:06 Until this time, the woman might not even know that she is pregnant.
03:12 By the time she knows, it might be too late to prevent these defects.
03:18 All women, especially of reproductive age should take adequate folate rich food.
03:25 Along with folate, other nutrients are important to prevent neural tube defects.
03:32 For example: vitamin B12 and choline.
03:39 During pregnancy, the requirements of folate increases.
03:45 Inadequate intake during this time can result in folate deficiency.
03:51 Poor absorption of folate by the body can result in deficiency.
03:58 Even excess of alcohol intake results in the same.
04:03 A deficiency of vitamin B12 can indirectly lead to folate deficiency.
04:09 Even if folate is present in our body, it will not be able to perform its function.
04:16 This is because vitamin B12 is required to convert folate into its active form.
04:24 Thus, adequate intake of vitamin B12 along with folate is important.
04:31 Eggs, chicken, meat and milk products are good sources of vitamin B12.
04:39 Shellfish, liver, heart, kidneys, brain are other examples.
04:47 Individuals with genetic anemia can be at a risk of folate deficiency.
04:54 Examples of genetic anemia are sickle cell anemia
04:58 and thalassemia.
05:01 In these conditions, red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be created.
05:08 Thus, adequate intake of folate is recommended during these conditions.
05:14 Please consult your doctor before taking any supplement.
05:19 Next, let us look at the symptoms of folate deficiency.
05:24 These symptoms can be seen in both men and women.
05:29 Some of the early signs are soreness and redness of the tongue and lips.
05:35 Other symptoms are fatigue,
05:38 irritability,

sleep disturbances

05:41 and depression.
05:43 Ulcers in the mouth or stomach can also occur.
05:47 Long term deficiency can reduce memory and attention span.
05:53 Folate deficiency in pregnant women may have a bad effect on the babies.
05:59 For example: neural tube defects and
06:03 cleft lip and palate in babies.
06:07 A cleft is a gap or split in the upper lip or roof of the mouth.
06:13 This occurs when the tissues do not fuse together during growth in the womb.
06:20 Folate or vitamin B12 deficiency results in macrocytic anemia.
06:27 Let me explain to you how this occurs.
06:30 Both these nutrients are required for normal cell growth and division.
06:36 In case of their deficiency, the red blood cells do not mature or divide properly.
06:43 As a result, large immature red blood cells are formed which are few in number.
06:51 These have very low hemoglobin in them and are unable to function properly.
06:59 Hemoglobin helps to transport oxygen to other tissues and cells.
07:06 Thus, low hemoglobin levels can cause anemia.
07:11 Let us look at the per day recommendations of folate for different age groups.
07:18 For 1 to 3 year old children 90 micrograms is required.
07:24 For 4 to 9 year old children it is 110 to 142 micrograms.
07:32 For 10 to 15 year old adolescents it is 180 to 204 micrograms.
07:42 More than 200 micrograms per day for adolescents above 16 years is recommended.
07:50 For adult females and males it is 200 to 250 micrograms.
07:58 Pregnant women should have about 500 micrograms.
08:02 For breastfeeding mothers, it is 300 micrograms.
08:07 The requirements of folate are higher for women with a history of birth defects.
08:15 They should take 500 micrograms before conception and throughout pregnancy.
08:22 Adequate folate intake is also recommended for women who are planning pregnancy.
08:29 The requirements of folate can be met through diet.
08:33 Beans are excellent source of folate.
08:36 30 grams or ½ cup of uncooked beans gives about 80 to 120 micrograms of folate.
08:46 Cowpea, kidney beans, moth beans, soybeans are a few examples.
08:53 Even bengal gram, field beans, horse gram, dry peas are good sources.
09:00 Green leafy vegetables are also rich in folate.
09:04 For example: spinach, amaranth leaves, colocasia leaves, agathi leaves.
09:11 50 grams or 1 cup of uncooked spinach will give about 70 micrograms of folate.
09:19 1 teaspoon of powdered drumstick leaves gives about 10 micrograms of folate.
09:27 Other vegetables rich in folate are tender field beans, french beans and beetroot.
09:35 Even cauliflower, ladies finger and drumsticks have moderate amounts of folate.
09:43 Sunflower seeds, mustard seeds and niger seeds have little amount of folate.
09:50 1 tablespoon of these powdered seeds have about 15 to 20 micrograms of folate.
09:59 Among non-vegetarian foods chicken liver and all sea food are excellent sources.
10:06 1 chicken liver of 60 grams will give about 600 micrograms of folate.
10:13 100 grams of any seafood will give more than 700 micrograms.
10:20 Please note that excessive heat and water decreases folate content.
10:26 Therefore, avoid overcooking and repetitive reheating of food.
10:33 Vegetables can be sautéed or steamed instead of boiling.
10:38 Pulses should always be soaked overnight before cooking.
10:43 Sprouting and cooking of whole beans enhances its nutrient content.
10:49 Fermentation and roasting will also help to improve the absorption of folate.
10:56 Adequate intake of folate is very important for our good health.
11:01 This brings us to the end of the tutorial.

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