Illustration = Jeongdaun
A study showed that two out of ten Korean teenagers and men in their twenties are severely deficient in folic acid in their bodies. Folic acid, a type of water-soluble B vitamin, affects the nervous system, so a lack of this nutrient can cause symptoms such as anemia and further increase the risk of depression.
The National Institute of Health of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency compared and analyzed the concentrations of folic acid (B9), vitamin B12, and homocysteine in the blood of 8,016 people aged 10 years and older using data from the 6th National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013). -2015) and found that 5.1% were deficient. On the 20th it was found that 31% of the public showed a lack of vigilance.
Folic acid is well known as an essential nutrient for women before pregnancy, during pregnancy and breastfeeding for the growth and development of the fetus. However, because folic acid also affects the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, a lack of folic acid has been reported to increase the risk of depression and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin B12 plays a role in cell division and the functioning of the nervous system. Vitamin B is found in red meat, whole grains, beef liver and dark leafy vegetables such as spinach. Homocysteine is caused by a vitamin B deficiency and, if its concentration increases, it can cause blood clots. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the case of folic acid, if the concentration of folic acid in the blood is less than 6.8 nmol/L it is considered a deficiency, while if it is between 6.8 and 13 .4 nmol/L is considered deficiency. it is classified as borderline deficit. Vitamin B12 levels below 148 pmol/L are considered deficient, while those below 148-221 pmol/L are considered borderline deficient.
Provided by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
By age, about 13% of people in their teens and twenties had deficiencies, and more than 45% had borderline deficiencies. The rate of leaf deficiency was higher in men than in women. More than 60% of teenage men and 70% of men in their 20s were confirmed to have blood folic acid levels below the appropriate level.
In detail, 16.8% of male adolescents were found to be deficient in boundaries and 46.6% were deficient in boundaries, while 19.3% of males in their twenties were deficient in boundaries and 52.1% they were deficient in boundaries. The rate of hyperhomocysteinemia, a condition in which the concentration of homocysteine in the blood increases due to vitamin B deficiency, was 11.8% in men and 1.6% in women, much higher in men.
According to the “Statistics on Diseases and Medical Treatment in Daily Life” recently released by the Health Insurance Review and Evaluation Service, in 2022, the number of patients treated for depression was 1,000,032. the largest number is 194,200, followed by those in their 30s. There were 164,942 people, followed by 149,365 people in their 60s and 146,842 people in their 40s.
Since 2016, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has been calculating folic acid intake by creating its own database (DB) of folic acid content in foods. Folic acid intake has decreased since 2016, and as of 2022, the average daily intake of folic acid was 280 ㎍ DFE, or 76.6% of the recommended intake.
Ji Young-mi, director of the Korea Agency for Disease Control and Prevention, said: “It is important to maintain the level of folic acid in the blood at an appropriate level for the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease We are studying the long-term impact of folic acid deficiency on the health of young age groups and determining the level of deficiency.” “Research is needed to improve,” he said.
Commissioner Ji said: “The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will identify the health and nutrition levels of our population through the National Health and Nutrition Survey and continue to conduct research on health promotion and chronic diseases based on survey data to create the basis for preparing health policies”.
The results of this research were published in volume 46 of “Epidemiology and Health”, an international academic journal in the field of public health.
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