The body needs folic acid to rebuild the genetic material. The body can only store 15 milligrams. Even if the stores are full, they will only last for three months. Humans cannot produce folic acid themselves.
Two-thirds of all Germans for example consume less than 300 micrograms of folic acid daily with food – with an average daily consumption of 400 micrograms. The situation is even worse for alcoholics. Alcohol blocks folic acid absorption in the intestine. What still gets through is not stored in the liver – alcohol suppresses that, too. The kidneys cannot retain folic acid when alcohol is involved – and so the body loses the vitamin that is actually so urgently needed.
A folic acid deficiency results in the dreaded fatty liver. With normal folic acid levels, the body builds the amino acid methionine from homocysteine. If folic acid (or vitamin B12) is lacking, this does not work and the homocysteine level increases – cardiovascular diseases can be the result. In addition, it disturbs the blood count and leads to typical forms of anemia.
More information in the book “Bye bye, booze!“
