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Folic acid aids in preventing birth defects

All parents-to-be hope for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. What you eat can help achieve those goals.

All women of childbearing age should consume 400 micrograms per day of folic acid, which aids in the prevention of the neural tube birth defect spina bifida. Folic acid is the synthetic form of the naturally occuring vitamin folate, and the two terms often are used interchangeably.

Folic acid is so important that the government requires it to be added to bread, cereals, pasta and other grains. And you can easily meet your daily requirement of folic acid by consuming orange juice, lentils, dried beans, broccoli, peanuts and avocados.

Don’t wait until you become pregnant – folic acid must be present in the body before pregnancy to protect against neural tube defects. Folic acid can also lower your risk of developing heart disease and possibly some forms of cancer.

If your folic acid intake isn’t where it should be, eat more fruits and vegetables and check the Nutrition Facts labels on grain foods to find those that contain the largest amounts of folic acid.

Produced by ADA's Public Relations Team