Folic acid is a B vitamin which is important for everyone, but even more so for women of child bearing age. Folic acid helps in the development of new cells and its deficiency in the mother leads to neural tube defects (NTDs) such as
anencephaly and
spina bifida in newborns. Oftentimes NTDs occur between the 17th and the 30th day of pregnancy, even before a woman finds out that she is pregnant.
Consuming 400 micrograms of folic acid every day will ensure that such defects are prevented from occurring. Therefore the recommendation is that ALL women of childbearing age, whether they intend to become pregnant or not, should take this amount of folic acid every day.
Folic acid can be found in mushrooms, green leafy vegetables (especially spinach and broccoli), whole wheat bread, citrus fruits, orange juice and dried beans. However, the body is only able to absorb about 25% of the day's folic acid needs, which makes it very difficult to get the daily recommended amounts through one's diet alone.
There are three means by which women can ensure adequate intake of folic acid:- By taking a single folic acid supplement, which provides 100% of its RDA. Or
- By taking a basic multivitamin supplement which provides 100% of the RDAs of various vitamins and minerals Or
- By taking one serving of a breakfast cereal (preferably whole grain/ oats), which has been fortified with 100% of the RDA for folic acid. Since not all cereals qualify, it is a good idea to read the nutrition label and make sure that the cereal contains folic acid in the required amounts.
The CDC recommends "All women should get in the habit of taking folic acid daily even when they are not planning to get pregnant. For folic acid to help, a woman needs to take it every day, starting before she becomes pregnant."
The following is a list of foods that are high in Folate:• Beans and lentils
• Peas (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, green peas)
• Juices (orange, tomato, grapefruit, pineapple)
• Fruits (oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, avocado, papaya, raspberries)
• Soymilk
• Vegetables (green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, and Chinese cabbage; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; asparagus; artichokes; okra; corn; cauliflower; potato; beets; green onions; sweet red peppers)
• Nuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Liver
• Giblets
You can also eat foods that have had folic acid added to them, such as:• Breakfast cereals (Some have 100% of the Daily Value of folic acid in each serving)
• Breads
• Flours
• Pastas
• Cornmeal
• White rice
Check the nutritional label on packaged foods to see the amount of folic acid per serving.By, The Dietetic Team @ NutritionVista.com
© 2007 - 2024 NutritionVista.com. All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. All articles and content written by the Nutritionvista.com team for NutritionVista.com are the sole property of J.L.S Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. Content may not be copied without express permission to do so. If you want to link back to an article, please ensure a working link to the article title is used and is functioning at all times.