Folate

(Folacin, Folic Acid)

This is one in a series of fact sheets containing information to help you select foods that provide adequate daily amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Guidelines are - Eat a Variety of Foods Maintain Desirable Weight Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol Eat Foods with Adequate Starch and Fiber Avoid Too Much Sugar Avoid Too Much Sodium If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation WHAT IS FOLIC ACID? Folic acid is a a water-soluble B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells and it aids in the formation of genetic material within every body cell. Everyone needs folic acid. But for women who can get pregnant, it is really important! If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before she is pregnant, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain and spine. These birth defects are neural tube defects or NTDs. Women need to take folic acid every day, starting before they are pregnant to help prevent NTDs. CDC and the US Public Health Service urge every woman who could become pregnant to get 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of synthetic folic acid every day.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? LOOK FOR 100% DAILY VALUE (DV)

One easy way a woman can be sure she is getting enough folic acid is to take a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day. Folic acid pills and most multivitamins sold in the United States have 100% of the daily value (DV) of folic acid; check the label to be sure.

You can get your vitamin with folic acid in one of several ways. You can take a multivitamin or a small, single supplement of folic acid. These days, multivitamins with folic acid come in chewable chocolate or fruit flavors, liquids, and large oval or smaller round pills. Many stores offer a single folic acid supplement for just pennies a day.

Another good choice is a store brand multivitamin, which includes most of the vitamins you need each day. Unless your doctor suggests a special type, you do not need to choose among vitamins for women or active people, or even to go with a low carbohydrate diet. A basic multivitamin meets the needs of most women.

Another way to get enough is to eat a serving of breakfast cereal every day that has been enriched with 100% of the daily value of folic acid. Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has "100%" next to folic acid.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I TAKE?

The U. S. Public Health Service and CDC recommend that all women of childbearing age consume 0.4 mg (400 micrograms) of folic acid daily to prevent two common and serious birth defects, spina bifida and anencephaly.

WHEN SHOULD I START TAKING FOLIC ACID?

These birth defects of the brain and spine happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman finds out that she is pregnant. All women should get in the habit of taking folic acid daily even when they are not planning to get pregnant. For folic acid to help, a woman needs to take it every day, starting at least one month before she becomes pregnant.

WHAT IS MEANT BY A GOOD FOOD SOURCE?

A good food source of folate contains a substantial amount of folate in relation to its calorie content and contributes at least 10 percent of the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (U.S. RDA) for folate in a selected serving size. The U.S. RDA for folate is 400 micrograms per day. (The U.S. RDA given is for adults, except pregnant or lactating women, and children over 4 years of age.)

In 1985 and 1986, over one-third of the folate in the diets of women was provided by fruits and vegetables. Of this group, citrus fruits and tomatoes and vegetables - other than dark-green or deep-yellow vegetables or potatoes - contributed the most to folate intakes. Grain products were also important sources. Foods that contain small amounts of folate but are not considered good sources can contribute significant amounts of folate to an individual's diet if these foods are eaten often or in large amounts.

WHERE DO I FIND FOLIC ACID?

You can get your vitamin with folic acid without prescription in one of several ways. You can take a multivitamin or a small, single supplement of folic acid. These days, multivitamins with folic acid come in chewable chocolate or fruit flavors, liquids, and large oval or smaller round pills. Many stores offer a single folic acid supplement for just pennies a day.

Another good choice is a store brand multivitamin, which includes most of the vitamins you need each day. Unless your doctor suggests a special type, you do not need to choose among vitamins for women or active people, or even to go with a low carbohydrate diet. A basic multivitamin meets the needs of most women.

Another way to get enough is to eat a serving of breakfast cereal every day that has been enriched with 100% of the daily value of folic acid. Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has "100%" next to folic acid.

HOW CAN WE GET ENOUGH FOLATE?

Eating a variety of foods that contain folate is the best way to get an adequate amount. The list of foods will help you select those that are good sources of folate as you follow the Dietary Guidelines. The list of good sources was derived from the same nutritive value of foods tables used to analyze information for recent food consumption surveys of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service.

You might think that you can get all the folic acid and other vitamins you need from the food you eat each day. But it is hard to eat a diet that has all the nutrients you need every day. Even with careful planning, you might not get all the vitamins you need from your diet alone. That's why it's important to take a vitamin with folic acid every day.

You know that you should exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. You might wonder how you can fit another thing into your day. But it only takes a few seconds to take a vitamin to get all the folic acid you need!

Click here for nutrition table for 7,248 foods.

HOW TO PREPARE FOODS TO RETAIN FOLATE

Folate can be lost from foods during preparation, cooking, or storage. To retain folate:

• Serve fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible.

• Steam, boil, or simmer vegetables in a minimal amount of water.

• Store vegetables in the refrigerator.

WHAT ABOUT FORTIFIED FOODS?

Most ready-to-eat cereals are fortified with folate. Fortified ready-to-eat cereals usually contain at least 25 percent of the U.S. RDA for folate. Since cereals vary, check the label on the package for the percentage of the U.S. RDA for a specific cereal.

WHAT IS A SERVING?

The serving sizes used on the list of good sources are only estimates of the amounts of food you might eat. The amount of nutrient in a serving depends on the weight of the serving. For example, 1/2 cup of a cooked vegetable contains more folate than a 1/2 cup serving of the same vegetable served raw, because a serving of cooked vegetable weighs more. Therefore, the cooked vegetable may appear on the list while the raw form does not. The raw vegetable provides the nutrient - but just not enough in a 1/2-cup serving to be considered a good source.

WHAT ARE GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF FOLATE?

     FOOD                             SELECTED      PERCENTAGE OF
                                      SERVING SIZE  U.S. RDA (1)


BREADS, CEREALS, AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS


English muffin, whole-wheat	1	+

Pita bread, whole-wheat	1 small	+

Ready-to-eat cereals, fortified(2)	1 ounce	++

Wheat germ, plain	2 tablespoons	+


FRUITS


Grapefruit and orange juice,

  frozen, reconstituted	3/4 cup	+

Orange juice:

  Fresh	3/4 cup	+

  Frozen, reconstituted	3/4 cup	+


VEGETABLES


Artichoke, globe (french),

  cooked	1 medium	+

Asparagus, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Beets, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Broccoli, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Brussels sprouts, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Cauliflower, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Chinese cabbage, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Corn, cream style, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Endive, chicory, escarole, or

  romaine; raw	1 cup	+

Mustard greens, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Okra, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Parsnips, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Peas, green, cooked	1/2 cup	+

Spinach:

  Cooked	1/2 cup	++

  Raw	1 cup	+

Turnip greens, cooked	1/2 cup	+


MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, AND ALTERNATES


Meat and Poultry

  Liver, braised:

    Beef or calf	3 ounces	+++

  Pork	3 ounces	++

  Chicken or turkey	1/2 cup diced	+++


Fish and Seafood

  Crabmeat, steamed	3 ounces	+


Dry Beans, Peas, and Lentils

  Beans, cooked:

    Bayo, black, brown, calico,

    chickpeas (garbanzo beans),

    lima, mexican, pinto, or white	1/2 cup	+

    Black-eyed peas (cowpeas)	1/2 cup	+++

    Red kidney	1/2 cup	++

  Lentils, cooked	1/2 cup	+++

  Peas, split, green or yellow,

    cooked	1/2 cup	+


(1) A selected serving size contains - 


    +    10-24 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

    ++   25-39 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

    +++  40 percent or more of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age


(2) See section on fortified foods.

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