what is a folic acid?
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Folic acid clears the blood from too much cholesterol and keeps your blood cell functioning properly and also keeps your blood pressure at a normal level.
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prenatal vitamins with folic acid
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At your age if you get nothing else get folic acid (to prevent birth defects when you decide to have children, you need to have it already in place.  And calcium.  None of us get enough calcium and for women it is especially important to prevent or at least slow down osteoporsis.  Not many multiviamins have enough calcium in them.
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Vitamins A, D, and E are lipids.  They are stored in your body fat and released on an "as needed" basis.  The B complex and C vitamins are water soluble and therefore need to be replenished on a daily basis.  All vitamins are used as your body requires so adsorption is independent of intake.
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folate, thiamine and multivitamin
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Functions\nVitamin B12's primary functions are in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenence of a healthy nervous system. B12 is necessary for the rapid synthesis of DNA during cell division. This is especially important in tissues where cells are dividing rapidly, particularly the bone marrow tissues responsible for red blood cell formation. If B12 deficiency occurs, DNA production is disrupted and abnormal cells called megaloblasts occur. This results in anaemia. Symptoms include excessive tiredness, breathlessness, listlessness, pallor, and poor resistance to infection. Other symptoms can include a smooth, sore tongue and menstrual disorders. Anaemia may also be due to folic acid deficiency, folic acid also being necessary for DNA synthesis. \nB12 is also important in maintaining the nervous system. Nerves are surrounded by an insulating fatty sheath comprised of a complex protein called myelin. B12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential for the maintainence of myelin. Prolonged B12 deficiency can lead to nerve degeneration and irreversible neurological damage. \n\nWhen deficiency occurs, it is more commonly linked to a failure to effectively absorb B12 from the intestine rather than a dietary deficiency. Absorption of B12 requires the secretion from the cells lining the stomach of a glycoprotein, known as intrinsic factor. The B12-intrinsic factor complex is then absorbed in the ileum (part of the small intestine) in the presence of calcium. Certain people are unable to produce intrinsic factor and the subsequent pernicious anaemia is treated with injections of B12. \n\nVitamin B12 can be stored in small amounts by the body. Total body store is 2-5mg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver. \n\nVitamin B12 is excreted in the bile and is effectively reabsorbed. This is known as enterohepatic circulation. The amount of B12 excreted in the bile can vary from 1 to 10ug (micrograms) a day. People on diets low in B12, including vegans and some vegetarians, may be obtaining more B12 from reabsorption than from dietary sources. Reabsorption is the reason it can take over 20 years for deficiency disease to develop in people changing to diets absent in B12. In comparison, if B12 deficiency is due to a failure in absorption it can take only 3 years for deficiency disease to occur. \n\nDietary Sources\nThe only reliable unfortified sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy products and eggs. There has been considerable research into possible plant food sources of B12. Fermented soya products, seaweeds and algae have all been proposed as possible sources of B12. However, analysis of fermented soya products, including tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari, found no significant B12. \nSpirulina, an algae available as a dietary supplement in tablet form, and nori, a seaweed, have both appeared to contain significant amounts of B12 after analysis. However, it is thought that this is due to the presence of compounds structurally similar to B12, known as B12 analogues. These cannot be utilised to satisfy dietary needs. Assay methods used to detect B12 are unable to differentiate between B12 and it's analogues, Analysis of possible B12 sources may give false positive results due to the presence of these analogues. \n\nResearchers have suggested that supposed B12 supplements such as spirulina may in fact increase the risk of B12 deficiency disease, as the B12 analogues can compete with B12 and inhibit metabolism. \n\nThe current nutritional consensus is that no plant foods can be relied on as a safe source of vitamin B12. \n\nBacteria present in the large intestine are able to synthesise B12. In the past, it has been thought that the B12 produced by these colonic bacteria could be absorbed and utilised by humans. However, the bacteria produce B12 too far down the intestine for absorption to occur, B12 not being absorbed through the colon lining. \n\nHuman faeces can contain significant B12. A study h
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Folic acid is a B vitamin, I dont think its a preservative. According to this source, very good for pregnant women or women trying to concieve.
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Folic acid helps a lot. It also helps make your fingernails grow longer and stronger. Be careful though, folic acid also helps to prime your body for pregnancy.
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Amino acid is One of the 20 building blocks of protein. The sequence of amino acids in a protein and, hence, the function of that protein are determined by the genetic code in the DNA. \n\nAmino acids are molecules that (in technical terms) contain a basic amino (NH2) group, an acidic carboxyl (COOH) group and a side chain attached to an alpha carbon atom. \n\nThe 20 amino acids are alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine. \n\nMost dietitians say it is unhealthy for people but it depends on blood count and things like that you should ask you physician or doctor before you do anything
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Folic acid is commonly inadequate in western diets.  Many countries, including the U.S. have now required that certain common foods be 'fortified' with folic acid (folate) to help compensate for common deficiencies.\n\nFolate is critically important for the prevention of neural tube defects (birth defects such as spina bifida vera), cardiovascular disease, strokes, cancer, etc.  So low or inadequate intakes are a very serious issue.\n\nThere are several common genetic variations in some of the genes that affect folate function in the body (these are called polymorphisms).  Some of these genetic variations require much higher levels of folate for 'normal' functions and proper health.  As many as 10-20% of western populations have these genetic variations and therefore, higher folate requirements.  The leading medical journal "The Lancet" has estimated that some women need more than 11 times the RDA levels of folate to prevent birth defects.\n\nThere is a very important principle in clinical nutrition that few people understand.  Simply stated:  Nutrients Work In Harmony.  You need all of the vitamins, all of the minerals, all of the essential fatty acids, all of the essential amino acids, etc. in the right amounts for proper functioning of the cells, tissues, organs, and systems of the body.  And they need to be working in balance with each other.\n\nFinal and very important note.  Folic acid supplements should never be given without also giving (or at least measuring and monitoring body levels) vitamin B12.  High doses of folate can 'mask' a B12 deficiency.  The masked or hidden B12 deficiency can result in permanent, painful neurologic damage.\n\nI hope you find this helpful.  Be careful about the many 'wild' answers you get on this site.\n\nBest wishes.
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There ARE vitamins B3, B4, B5.\n\nVitamin B3 is also known as niacin.  Vitamin B4 is adenine.  Vitamin B5 is pantothenic acid.\n\nB1 is thiamine\nB2 is riboflavin\nB6 is pyridoxine.\netc.  see http://db.ancient-future.net/vitamins.html
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http://www.answers.com/topic/vitamin
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Citric acid is a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits. It is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic (sour) taste to foods and soft drinks. In biochemistry, it is important as an intermediate in the citric acid cycle and therefore occurs in the metabolism of almost all living things. It also serves as an environmentally benign cleaning agent and acts as an antioxidant.\n\nCitric acid exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, but it is most concentrated in lemons and limes, where it can comprise as much as 8% of the dry weight of the fruit.
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Have or need?\nNeed:    \n    * calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, magnesium, and     \n      fluoride;\n    * folate and other B vitamins;\n    * antioxidants (e.g., vitamins C and E, selenium);\n    * macronutrients (e.g., protein, fat, carbohydrates);\n    * trace elements (e.g., vitamin A & K, iron, zinc); and\n    * electrolytes and water.\nHave:\nAdenine (Vitamin B-4) - Purine that is definitely not a vitamin.\nAmygdalin (Vitamin B-17, Laetrile) - Anticancer agent and vitamin--not!\nAnthranilic Acid (Vitamin L) - A factor originally thought to be important for lactation.\nAscorbic Acid (Vitamin C) - One of the most ubiquitous vitamins ever discovered.\nBeta-Carotene (Vitamin A precursor) - Yellow pigment that forms vitamin A.\nBiotin (Vitamin H) - Carbon dioxide carrier that builds fats.\nCholecalciferol (Vitamin D) - The vitamin made from rich sunlight.\nCyanocobalamin (Vitamin B-12) - A vitamin that treats pernicious anemia.\nFolic Acid (Folate, Vitamin B-9) - A vitamin that helps fetus development during pregnancy.\nInositol (Myo-Inositol) - A useful sugar once thought to be a vitamin.\nMenadione (Vitamin K) - A fat-soluble vitamin that helps to clot blood.\nNiacin (Nicotinamide, Vitamin B-3) - A pyridine important in nucleic acid metabolism.\nPABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid, Vitamin B-x) - Bacterial vitamin that serves as a sunscreen.\nPangamic Acid (Vitamin B15) - The non-vitamin "vitamin" that cures everything.\nPantothenic Acid (Pantothenate, Vitamin B-5) - Important for normal growth.\nPyridoxine (Pyridoxal phosphate, Vitamin B-6) - A very versatile coenzyme.\nRetinol (Vitamin A) - The first vitamin to be discovered.\nRiboflavin (Vitamin B-2) - The vitamin that gives urine its yellow color.\nThiamine (Vitamin B-1) - A sure cure for Beriberi.\nAlpha-Tocopherol (vitamin E) - What some people call the "love" vitamin is really a free radical scavenger.
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Basically a vitamin is of nutritional value helping the body function properly, hormones are powerful chemicals produced in the body and lead to adjustment in body functions resulting in adaptation or growth.
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A nutrient is any element or compound necessary for or contributing to an organism's metabolism, growth, or other functioning. Six nutrient groups exist, classifiable as those that provide energy, and as those that otherwise support metabolic processes in the body: Some of them are essential because they cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from a food source.
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Antinutrients are anything that interfer with the body's ability to utilize nutrients.\n\nFor example, phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. \n\nChelating agents\nEnzyme inhibitors\nBlocks to absorption (prevents movement across membranes by blocking receptors or other method)\n\nThere are probably more types.