Folic Acid

Folic Acid

This important vitamin is extremely important for women of child bearing years. Folic Acid (or Folate) is a form of Vitamin B, a water soluble vitamin.

Folate occurs naturally in foods while Folic Acid is synthetic.

In 1998 the federal law has required some products to have Folic Acid added to their formulation. A few of these products are cereals, flour, breads and pastas.

Naturally occurring Folate is found in spinach, broccoli and lettuce, asparagus, bananas, melons, beans etc.

A good website to learn more is:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1017-folic%20acid.aspx?activeingredientid=1017&activeingredientname=folic%20acid

One important factor in preventing a particular birth defect is consuming Folic Acid.

Folic Acid Facts

1. How much do we need?

Women need 400 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid daily

There are two ways to get folic acid daily:

1st is through vitamins-most vitamins have folic acid so this is a good place to get 400 mcg. Be sure to read the label to verify the amount of folic acid the tablet contains. You should get 100% of the daily value which is 400 mcg.

The 2nd source, surprisingly, is cereal that contains 400 mcg. Eat a bowl of folic acid enriched cereal.

2. What is Folic Acid?

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Folic acid is needed for our bodies to make new cells and is involved in producing DNA.