Benefits of folic acid during pregnancy and best folate foods

27 Jul

Benefits of folic acid during pregnancy and best folate foods

The CDC recommends that all women of reproductive age take 400 mcg (micrograms) folic acid supplements every day and consume foods rich in folate. Folic acid helps prevent significant congenital disabilities in babies and is an essential nutrient for the body to make new cells each day.

What is Folic Acid?

Folic Acid is the synthetic form of Vitamin B9, which occurs as Folate naturally. It is a water-soluble vitamin found in many plant and animal sources of food. Folic acid is added to many types of manufactured food items, including breakfast cereals, as it is absorbed much easier by the body when compared to other food sources. Folate plays a vital role in forming RNA and DNA in the cells and protein metabolism in the body. It is also critical for the fetus when undergoing rapid growth stages and producing red blood cells in the body.

All women need at least 400 mcg of folic acid a day. When planning to get pregnant, the dosage should be ranging from 400 to 800 mcg in the form of fortified foods or supplements along with the folic acids in foods they get naturally. Women who have had babies with neural tube defects from previous pregnancies are generally recommended 4000 mcg of folic acid a day by doctors.

Benefits of folic acid

Not all women can get enough folate from foods naturally every day. Therefore folic acid in the form of supplements and fortified foods can fill in the nutritional gap to provide health benefits. It is beneficial for pregnant women because:

Folic acid protects the fetus from severe congenital disabilities during the first few weeks of pregnancy, even before women realize they are pregnant. Since close to half of all pregnancies are unplanned, having adequate folic acid every day keeps the baby protected.
Folic acid helps to treat folate-deficiency anemia in women of childbearing age. Since anemia is common in malnourished pregnant women, folic acid during pregnancy helps in increasing red blood cells.

Foods rich in folic acid

Here are some of the best folic acid foods for pregnancy:

Food Source (100 g)	Total Folate
Beans	74 mcg
Lentils	181 mcg
Asparagus	149 mcg
Whole Eggs	44 mcg
Spinach (raw)	194 mcg
Beets	109 mcg
Oranges	30 mcg
Brussels Sprouts	60 mcg
Broccoli	108 mcg
Walnuts	98 mcg
Flaxseed	87 mcg
Beef Liver	253 mcg
Avocados	81 mcg
Spaghetti Fortified	82 mcg

Conclusion

Folic acid is an essential vitamin for the body, especially when women are trying to conceive. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus and helps prevent anemia in the mothers. Folic acid supplements and consuming natural foods containing folate are excellent ways to ensure the body gets its daily intake of this critical nutrient.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/why-take-folic-acid-pregnant-spina-bifida

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/folic-acid

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/folic-acid/