When it comes to pregnancy, folic acid is a hero! Your baby’s brain and spinal cord can be protected from birth abnormalities by taking 400 micrograms of folic acid in a prenatal vitamin. Go ahead and eat fortified cereal every day as well.
Folic Acid: What Is It and How Does It Work?
It is a synthetic version of the B vitamin folate. Folate aids in the development of your baby’s brain and spinal cord by aiding in the creation of red blood cells. Fortified grains are the finest source of folic acid. Dietary sources of folate include leafy greens and citrus fruits.
When Is the Best Time to Take Folic Acid Supplements?
Within the first three to four weeks of pregnancy, there is a higher risk of birth abnormalities than there is for the mother. As a result, getting enough folate into your system while your baby’s brain and spinal cord are still developing is critical.
When you were attempting to get pregnant, your doctor probably recommended that you start taking a prenatal vitamin that included folic acid. Taking folic acid for at least a year before getting pregnant reduced the risk of early delivery by as much as 50%, according to one research.
It is recommended that you take folic acid every day while you are pregnant and for at least a month before to conception. The CDC, on the other hand, advises all pregnant women to take folic acid daily. As a result, you have nothing to worry about if you start taking it early.
Your OB may check the quantity of folic acid and other nutrients in your prenatal vitamin once you’re pregnant to be sure you’re getting what you need. Prenatal vitamins vary widely in composition, with some containing more or fewer of the essential nutrients than others.
Folic Acid Dosage: How Much Is Enough?
All women of reproductive age should take 400 mcg of folate daily. The recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals may be found in most multivitamins. In the absence of a multivitamin, folic acid supplements are an option.
Pregnant women are advised to take the following amount of folic acid per day:
• If you’re attempting to get pregnant, take 400 mcg daily.
• You should take 400 mcg during the first three months of your pregnancy
• Pregnancy: 600 mcg for four to nine months
• 500 mcg when breast-feeding
What Are Folic Acid’s Advantages?
Your baby’s neural tube may not shut properly if you don’t consume enough folic acid in your diet, resulting in health concerns known as neural tube defects. Among them are:
• Spina bifida: deficiency in the formation of the vertebrae or the spinal cord
• Anencephaly: a condition in which key portions of the brain are underdeveloped.
Babies born with anencephaly or spina bifida have a lower survival rate and may be permanently handicapped. To put it mildly, these issues are a little unnerving. However, adequate folic acid intake may reduce the risk of neural tube abnormalities by at least 50%. If you’ve already had a kid with a neural tube defect, the CDC says that supplementing your diet with adequate folic acid will lower your chances of having another one by as much as 70%.
Folic acid intake should be increased to 4000 micrograms (mcg) a day for women who have had a neural tube abnormality in the past. Consult your physician for the proper dosage.
When taken before and during pregnancy, folic acid may also protect your baby against:
• Prematurity, low birth weight, and cleft lip and palate are all possible outcomes.
• Miscarriage
• Insufficient womb development
Folic acid has also been linked to a lower risk of the following conditions:
• Obstetrical problems. The risk of preeclampsia was observed to be lowered in women who took folic acid supplements throughout the second trimester.
• Coronary artery disease
• Stroke
• Certain forms of malignancies, for example
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Folic Acid Food Sources
• Folic acid is found in a variety of foods, including the following:
• A cup of enriched breakfast cereal provides 400 mcg of vitamin C.
• 3 ounces, 215 mcg, cooked, braised beef liver
• 179 mcg: 1/2 cup cooked, boiling, mature-seed lentils
• Fryed spinach, heated in a pot of salted water (115 milligrammes), half a cup
• Cooked, enhanced egg noodles (1/2 cup): 110 mcg
• A serving of 3/4 cup of fortified breakfast cereal provides 100 mcg.
• 90 mcg: 1/2 cup of cooked Great Northern beans
Sources
Fortified foods, including breads, flours, cereals, and grains, include folic acid. B-complex vitamins often include it as well.
Folate may be found in a wide variety of foods. Among the most reliable resources are:
• There is no better source than this:
• Boiled spinach
• Peas with black eyes
• Asparagus
• Spaghetti with broccoli and Brussels sprouts
• Lettuce
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• There are two types of mustard greens:
• Peas, green
• Kidney beans
• Tomato juice from a can
• The Dungeness crab
• Juice of oranges
• Roasted peanuts
• Oranges and grapefruits in season
• Papaya
• Banana
• Eggs cooked in water
• Cantaloupe
Folate deficiency
It is possible to have a folate shortage if there is not enough folate in the body. Megaloblastic anaemia is a kind of anaemia that can result from this.
Folate deficiency during pregnancy raises the risk of birth defects.
Deficit of folate symptoms include:
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Inability to focus
• Headache
• Irritability
• Irregular heartbeats
• Sores in the mouth (both outside and inside)
• Skin, hair, or fingernail discoloration
• Heart palpitations and shortness of breath
• Irritability
Folate deficiency is more common in some populations. These include:
• People who suffer from alcoholism
• Those who are or will be in the process of becoming parents
• Persons with gastrointestinal diseases, such as IBD and celiac disease, that decrease nutritional absorption
• Persons with a variation in the MTHFR gene
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When should a pregnant woman take folic acid?
Pregnant women should take a folic acid supplement with 400 micrograms per day during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Pharmacy counter folic acid supplements come in a variety of strengths. Look for folic acid supplements with a minimum of 400 micrograms.
What happens if I don’t take folic acid during pregnancy?
Neural tube problems can occur if you don’t obtain enough folic acid before and throughout pregnancy. Birth disorders affecting the spine, spinal cord, or brain are known as neural tube defects, and they can be fatal. Spina bifida is one of these.
Which fruit has folic acid?
Fruits and vegetables that are citrus in nature
Folate is found in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and limes, which makes them an excellent source of the vitamin. There are 55 mcg of folate in a big orange, or roughly 14 percent of the daily requirement.
Is 4 weeks pregnant too late for folic acid?
The clock is ticking. No. Start taking folic acid as soon as you learn you’re pregnant and keep doing so until you’re 12 weeks along. There is no need to be alarmed if you are more than 12 weeks along in your pregnancy
