vitamin B9

Question 1

what are the forms of vitamin B9

Answer 1

folate- a natural form found in food

folic acid- a synthetic form used to make supplements

Question 2

what are the properties of vitamin B9

Answer 2

-water soluble

-heat stable, but some loss during cooking

-unaffected by acids

-destroyed by alkalis, oxygen and light

Question 3

what are the sources of vitamin B9

Answer 3

-wholemeal bread

-offal

leafy green vegetables

-wheat germ

Question 4

what are the biological functions of vitamin B9

Answer 4

-needed during pregnancy to form the brain of a foetus and to close the end of its spinal cord

-works with vitamin B12 to form red blood cells

-maintains the immune system by helping the white blood cells to fight illness and infection

Question 5

what are the effects of deficiency of vitamin B9

Answer 5

-neural tube in the foetus, e.g. spinal bifida occurs when the base of the spine fails to close, causing paralysis of the lower limbs

-feelings of tiredness or fatigue due to a lack of red blood cells

-prone to illness and infection such as the cold and flu