What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Folic acid helps
the body make healthy new cells.
Why should women take folic acid?
All women need folic acid. When a woman has enough folic acid before and during pregnancy,
it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby’s brain or spine.
Be sure to get enough folic acid every
day. Start before you are pregnant. Folic acid is needed during the first few weeks, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.
And half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are not planned. That is why it’s so important to start taking folic acid each
day, even when you are not planning to get pregnant.
Folic acid might also have other benefits for men and women of
any age. Some studies show that folic acid might help prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and possibly Alzheimer’s
disease.
How can women get folic acid?
All women should aim to get at least 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid each day.
There are a few easy ways she can do this.
- Take a daily vitamin that has folic acid in it. Most multivitamins sold
in the U.S. have enough. Check the label on the vitamin to be sure. It should say “400 mcg” or “100%”
next to folic acid. Some labels might use the word “folate” for folic acid. Or you can take a vitamin pill that
only has folic acid in it. You can find both of these types at your local grocery, drug store, or discount store.
- Another
way to get enough folic acid is to eat a serving of breakfast cereal that contains 100% of the daily value (DV) for folic
acid each day. Check the label on the box to be sure it has enough.
Vitamin Label
Check the label to be sure you are getting enough.
|
Find folic acid. Choose a vitamin that says “400mcg” or “100%”
next to folic acid.
|
Eat a healthy diet
that contains lots of fruits and vegetables and other foods that have folic acid (or folate) in them or added to them. Below
are foods you can eat to get folic acid (or folate).
broccoli |
asparagus |
bananas |
oranges |
peas |
nuts |
spaghetti |
bread |
cereal |
flour |
Food Label
|
Look at the package and the food label to see if the foods have folic acid in them. Find foods that say they
have folic acid. The label will tell you how much folic acid is in it. Sometimes, the label will say folate instead of folic
acid. It is the same thing. |
Find folic acid (folate). Read across to see how much folic acid is in
your food. |
How much folic acid should you take?
Read the descriptions below to see how much folic acid you should take. Check
off the one that applies to you.
| You are able
to get pregnant. Take 400 mcg of folic acid every day. |
| You are pregnant. Take 600mcg of folic acid every
day. |
| You are breastfeeding. Take 500mcg of folic acid every day. |
| You had a baby with spina
bifida or anencephaly and want to get pregnant again. Talk with your doctor, and ask for a prescription for a higher dose
of folic acid. You should take 4,000 micrograms (4,000 mcg) starting at least one to three months before getting pregnant
and during the first 3 months of pregnancy. That’s 10 times the normal amount! But don’t try to get the larger
amount by taking more than one multivitamin or prenatal vitamin a day. You could get too much of another vitamin that could
harm you or your baby. |
| You had a baby with spina bifida or anencephaly. You are not planning to have another
baby. Take 400 mcg of folic acid every day. |
For More Information
You can find
out more about folic acid by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) at 800-994-WOMAN (9662)
