What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B vitamin found in a wide variety of foods.
Why do I need folic acid?
Everyone needs folic acid! This nutrient is important in building cells and keeping your body healthy. It also helps to lower your baby’s risk of developing some neural tube defects and other serious birth defects.
How much do I need?
For both men and women, the recommendation for folic acid is 400 micrograms each day. That means eating at least one bowl of 100% folic acid enriched cereal or taking a multivitamin that contains your daily dose of folic acid.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may need even more folic acid to help meet the nutritional needs for both you and your baby.
How do I make sure I'm getting enough?
- Take a vitamin with folic acid everyday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all women (especially between the ages of 15 and 45) take a folic acid supplement every day. Many women choose to take a daily supplement just for folic acid. Other women take a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid. Either of these are fine.
- Eat from the grain group.
Because neural tube defects used to be so common, many of the grains we eat are labeled “enriched” and have folic acid added.
- Eat WIC foods that are good sources of folic acid.
-WIC Cereal- Look for cereals that read 100% next to folic acid on the nutrition label.
-Beans and lentils
-Green leafy vegetables
-Broccoli
-Beets
For more information check out the CDC page on folic acid.
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