What is the Difference Between Folic Acid and Fish Oil

The main difference between folic acid and fish oil is that the folic acid is a vitamin used mainly to treat anaemia whereas fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids used as a dietary supplement.  

Folic acid and fish oil are two types of supplements that should be taken while trying to conceive. In pregnancy, folic acid is important for the development of the fetal neural tube while fish oil is essential for the development of the central nervous system of the baby.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Folic Acid
     – Definition, Composition, Importance
2. What is Fish Oil
     – Definition, Composition, Importance
3. What are the Similarities Between Folic Acid and Fish Oil
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Folic Acid and Fish Oil
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Fish Oil, Folic Acid, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Pregnancy, Supplements, Vitamin B-9

What is Folic Acid

Folic acid is a type of vitamin B-9 that serves as a key component in the synthesis of nucleic acids. It is also required by the repair of nucleic acids in the body. This enhances rapid cell division and growth. In addition, it has a vital function in the formation of red blood cells. Folic acid also preserves the brain health in infants. Moreover, folic acid prevents age-related hearing loss. It mainly occurs in animal liver, kidney and leafy green vegetables. Synthetic folic acid also can be taken as a supplement.

Figure 1: Folic Acid

It is one of the several supplements that should be taken by pregnant women. Folic acid is an essential nutrients for the development of the neural tube of the fetus. The brain and the spinal cord develop from the neural tube. Hence, the deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy leads to neural tube-related birth defects in infants. Since the development of the neural tube occurs before a woman would know that she is pregnant, it is crucial to take folic acid while trying to conceive.  

What is Fish Oil

Fish oil is the oil derived from the fat of oily fish including salmon, sardine, herring, trout, and, tuna. It is mainly composed of two of the three types of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish oil can be used as a dietary supplement to lower the blood pressure and levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the body. It can also prevent strokes. Fish oil is widely used to treat kidney-related diseases as well.

Figure 2: Fish Oil

Fish oil is another type of supplement that has to be taken during pregnancy. It is essential for the development of the central nervous system of the fetus including the brain and eyes. It also prevents slow infant growth, miscarriage, early delivery, and high blood pressure in the late pregnancy.

Similarities Between Folic Acid and Fish Oil

• Folic acid and fish oil are two types of dietary supplements that provide nutrients to the body.
• Both are specially taken during pregnancy.

Difference Between Folic Acid and Fish Oil

Definition

Folic acid refers to a vitamin of the B complex found especially in leafy green vegetables, liver, and kidney, required for the normal production of red blood cells, and used especially in the treatment of nutritional anemia. Fish oil refers to a fatty oil from the bodies of various fishes such as menhaden or sardines that contain large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and is used as a dietary supplement and in making various products such as cosmetics and paints. Thus, this describes the main difference between folic acid and fish oil.

Found in

Folic acid can be found in liver, kidney and leafy green vegetables while fish oil is taken from the fat of the oily fish.

Composition

A major difference between folic acid and fish oil is their composition. Folic acid is a type of vitamin B-9 while fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids.

Importance

Folic acid is important for the synthesis and repair of nucleic acids, formation of red blood cells, and development of the brain of infants while fish oil can lower levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. Hence, this is another important difference between folic acid and fish oil.

Health Effects

One other important difference between folic acid and fish oil is that the folic acid can be used to treat nutrition-related anaemia while fish oil can be used to prevent heart disease, kidney-related diseases, etc.

During Pregnancy

Moreover, folic acid is essential for the development of the neural tube of the fetus while fish oil is essential for the development of the central nervous system of the fetus.

Conclusion

Folic acid is a type of vitamin B-9 that is important for the synthesis of nucleic acids and the formation of red blood cells. It can be found in liver, kidney and leafy green vegetables. On the other hand, fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which is important for lowering the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. It can be taken from the fat of oily fish. Both are important for the development of the central nervous system of the fetus. The main difference between folic acid and fish oil is their composition and importance.

Reference:

1. Nordqvist, Christian. “Folic Acid: Importance, Deficiencies, and Side Effects.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 27 Oct. 2017, Available Here
2. Lincoln, Jennifer. “4 Supplements to Take When Trying to Conceive.” Bundoo, Available Here
3. “Fish Oil: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning.” WebMD, WebMD, Available Here

Image Courtesy:

1. “Folic acid” By Calvero. – Selfmade with ChemDraw. (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia  
2. “Lachsölkapsel” By Marco Almbauer – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia