How to Get Enough Folate

Folate helps the body create and maintain new cells and make DNA and RNA. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins are excreted in urine, not stored in fat. Since they can't be stored in the body, water-soluble vitamins must be continuously supplied through diet. Folic acid refers to the form of folate found in supplements. Adults over age 18 should get 400 mcg of folate per day.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat leafy green vegetables, like spinach and turnip greens. According to the National Institutes of Health, a cup of raw spinach contains 60 mcg of folate; or 15 percent of the recommended Daily Value if you're consuming 2,000 calories a day. Folate is lost during food preparation, cooking and storage. The Ohio State University Extension office recommends steaming, boiling or simmering vegetables in a minimal amount of water to retain folate. Storing vegetables in the refrigerator will also retain folate.

• 2

  Consume fruits including citrus fruits and juices. A small orange contains about 30 mcg of folate, or 8 percent of the Daily Value. Serve fruits raw whenever possible to retain folate.

• 3

  Add dried beans and peas to your diet. A cup of green peas contains about 100

  mcg of folate, or 30 percent of the recommended Daily Value.

• 4

  Eat whole grains. Many grains are fortified with folic acid. Whole grains naturally contain folate.

• 5

  Consume poultry, pork and seafood. Add liver to your diet as well. Liver is a very rich source of folate. Three ounces of beef liver contains 185 mcg of folate, or 45 percent of the recommended Daily Value.

• 6

  Get extra folate if you have certain medical conditions. Conditions that increase the need for folate include pregnancy and lactation, alcohol abuse, malabsorption, kidney failure, liver disease and certain anemias.

• 7

  Consume extra folate if you take anticonvulsant medications such as metformin, sulfasalazine, triamterene, methotrexate or barbiturates. These medications may interfere with folate utilization.

• 8

  Get folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, from supplements when possible. According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, the bioavailability of folic acid from supplements is greater than the bioavailability of folate that occurs naturally in foods. Yet monitor your folic acid intake carefully. The Harvard School of Public Health claims too much folic acid can mask the signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency and possibly accelerate the growth of existing tumors. Also, excess folic acid also cannot be processed into folate.