What influence does folic acid have on the hair?
Folic acid is an important element in cell structure and cell division. This also applies to hair – which depends on a sufficient amount of folic acid due to its constant growth. Therefore, folic acid is an important component of hair growth. There is a large variety of folic acid preparations available especially for hair growth. Often these are still mixed with zinc and biotin, which are also important components of healthy and strong hair growth.
Folic acid in MTX
Behind the abbreviation MTX hides the name Methotrexate. It is a substance belonging to the folic acid antagonists and is used in the therapy of autoimmune diseases and cancer. Methotrexate blocks an enzyme that would be responsible for the conversion of folic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid.
The tetrahydrofolic acid is an important component in the structure of the DNA building block thymine. If this element is missing, cell growth is ultimately inhibited. In the therapy of tumor diseases, folic acid is often given after the administration of methotrexate.
This may seem surprising, since MTX is the antagonist of folic acid – but it serves the simple purpose of reducing the side effects of methotrexate. The additional administration of folic acid in the therapy of autoimmune diseases has been critically reviewed by some experts in the past. The inconsistency in the use of folic acid in the treatment of autoimmune diseases was that folic acid can reduce the side effects of methotrexate, but it can also impair its effect.
This was particularly important in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, where methotrexate is administered in much lower doses. Nowadays, a large number of physicians recommend the administration of a folic acid preparation during a therapy with methotrexate. The folic acid intake in the form of tablets should not take place until 24 hours at the earliest, and many experts advise 48 hours after the administration of methotrexate. The time between the administration of methotrexate and folic acid intake is extremely important, as it gives the folic acid antagonist enough time to work undisturbed.
