|  | Diet Nutrition | Vitamins

Formula for Folic Acid Fortification

Folic acid is a form of Vitamin B. Both men and women need folic acid, but it is especially important for pregnant women. Sufficient folic acid helps ensure that the growing fetus' brain and spinal cord develop correctly. See how you can fortify your intake of folic acid through supplements and proper diet.

  1. Minimum Requirements

    • Folic acid is essential for healthy cell formation, especially red blood cells. Every day your skin, hair and nails form new cells, which is why everybody needs folic acid. However, low folic acid levels are linked to severe birth defects, such as spina bifida. If you are planning to have a baby, start taking folic acid at least one month before you get pregnant. Women need to take at least 400 micrograms, written as mcg, on a daily basis. There is a wide variety of sources from which you can get folic acid, and you don't have to worry about ingesting too much if you rely on a combination of supplement and food sources. It is a water soluble vitamin, which means that your body will use what it needs and eliminate any excess.

    Supplements

    • You can find daily multi-vitamins in your local pharmacy or supermarket. The nutritional label on the side of the bottle will tell you if the vitamins contain 100% of the recommended daily requirement for folic acid. If the multi-vitamin you are examining contains less, keep searching. If you have had a high risk pregnancy or baby born with birth defects in the past, ask your doctor if you should take more than the recommended amount.

    Food Sources

    • When folic acid occurs naturally in food, it is called folate. There are many foods that contain folate, including spinach, lettuce and broccoli. Besides leafy vegetables, okra, tomato juice and asparagus are good sources of folate. Whole grains, cereals and baked goods are also fortified with folate. For breakfast, you might have a couple of pieces of whole wheat toast, accompanied by a glass of orange juice. Both the toast and the juice provide folic acid. Later in the day, you can add folic acid to your diet by eating beans, especially black beans and lentils. Peanuts or peanut butter, mushrooms and meats like liver or kidney also provide you with folic acid. Taking a daily supplement and eating folate-containing foods in every meal will provide you with adequate folic acid fortification.

Vitamins - Related Articles