Oddly enough, research shows that the body absorbs the synthetic
version of this vitamin (folic acid) much better than the version that
occurs naturally in certain foods (folate). While enriched cereals and
other grain products are fortified with the synthetic version, most
women don't eat these foods consistently enough to rely on them as a
source of folic acid.
Foods that are rich in naturally occurring
folate include lentils; dried beans and peas; dark green vegetables such
as broccoli, spinach, collard or turnip greens, okra, and asparagus;
and citrus fruit and juice.
These foods aren't a substitute for
supplemental folic acid. Instead, consider them a complement to your
supplement. Because while your body absorbs all of the folic acid in a
supplement, it absorbs only some of the naturally occurring folate from
the food you eat. What's more, folate can be lost during storage or
destroyed by cooking.
Food manufacturers are required by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration to add folic acid to enriched grain
products, such as breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, and rice, so that
each serving contains at least 20 percent of the daily requirement. Some
fortified breakfast cereals contain 100 percent.
unless you go out of your way to eat a complete serving of a fully
fortified cereal—that is, one that contains 100 percent of the Daily
Value of folic acid—every day, you probably won't get enough synthetic
folic acid from food.
Is a supplement recommended?
Yes. Many authorities, including
ACOG and the March of Dimes, recommend that all women of childbearing
age take a multivitamin with folic acid or a folic acid supplement every
The signs of a folic acid deficiency
signs of folic acid deficiency can be subtle. You may have diarrhea,
loss of appetite, and weight loss, as well as weakness, a sore tongue,
headaches, heart palpitations, and irritability.
If you're only
mildly deficient, you may not notice any symptoms at all, but you won't
be getting the optimal amount for your baby's early embryonic