Sources of Folic Acid

1. Introduction:

Folic acid is a water soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B complex. It is also known as folate or folacin. Folic acid is important for the proper development of the neural tube. It helps to prevent spina bifida, a birth defect in the spinal cord. All women of childbearing age should consume 400 micrograms (mcg) of folate/folic acid daily, from fortified foods or supplements, in addition to eating folate-rich foods to reduce the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects.

2. What is folic acid?

Folic acid is a water soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B complex. It is also known as folate or folacin. Folic acid is important for the proper development of the neural tube.  https://gofolic.org/what-causes-diarrhea-in-3rd-trimester/  helps to prevent spina bifida, a birth defect in the spinal cord.

3. The importance of folic acid.

Folic acid is important for the proper development of the neural tube. It helps to prevent spina bifida, a birth defect in the spinal cord. All women of childbearing age should consume 400 micrograms (mcg) of folate/folic acid daily, from fortified foods or supplements, in addition to eating folate-rich foods to reduce the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects.

4. Folic acid and pregnant women.

All women of childbearing age should consume 400 micrograms (mcg) of folate/folic acid daily, from fortified foods or supplements, in addition to eating folate-rich foods to reduce the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects. Folic acid supplementation before and during early pregnancy can also help to prevent other birth defects such as heart defects and cleft lip/palate.

5. Sources of folic acid.

Folic acid can be found in leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fortified foods and supplements. Some good sources of folic acid include: spinach, broccoli, lentils, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, fortified breakfast cereals and breads, and supplements.

6. Foods rich in folic acid.

Some good sources of folic acid include: spinach, broccoli, lentils, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, fortified breakfast cereals and breads. Fortified foods are those that have had nutrients added to them that are not naturally present in the food itself. For example, many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals including folic acid. Check food labels to see how much folic acid is present in a particular food product.
7. Supplements containing folic acid.

In addition to diet changes, some women may also need to take a supplement that contains folic acid if they have certain risk factors for having a baby with a birth defect such as: diabetes mellitus; obesity; use of certain medications; history of previous pregnancies affected by neural tube defects; family history of neural tube defects; or certain ethnicities (e Hispanic). Talk to your healthcare provider about whether or not you need to take a supplement containing folic acid if you are planning on becoming pregnant or are already pregnant"