FOLIC ACID
Folic acid is basically the man-made form of folate (i.e. a type of B vitamin). You can have it either through your diet or through supplements. Good nutrition is the foundation of your baby’s health, so it’s always recommended to have essential nutrients and vitamins during pregnancy. Folic acid is one of that essential nutrient which benefits your baby a lot. It’s important to start taking folic acid supplement even when you start planning for a baby. It helps a lot for the better development and growth of your baby and protect your baby from neural tube defects.
Folic acid is water-soluble, i.e. the excess is passed out from the urine and doesn’t get stored in the body. Just make sure you don’t have deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy. As the risk of developing birth defects in the baby is more in the first few weeks of pregnancy, so it’s always recommended to start having a folate supplement even before you conceive. There are many foods rich in folic acid i.e. breakfast cereals, bananas, avocado, breads, pasta, etc. But you may need more while planning or during pregnancy to meet up with your daily requirement, so supplements are mostly suggested with folic-acid rich foods.
BENEFITS
Folic acid benefits you and your developing baby a lot when you are expecting. It basically reduces the risk of so many complications, which are as follows:
Neural Tube Defects:
Neural tube is one of the first thing that your baby will grow, that becomes your baby’s brain and spinal cord. When there is something wrong in the development of the neural tube, it is called as neural tube defect, which affects the development of the brain and the spinal cord of your baby. It is one of the most common types of birth defect. Three types of neural tube defects are more common:
> spina bifida is the incomplete development of the spinal cord.
> anencephaly is the under-development of the brain.
> encephalocele in which the brain tissue extends into the spinal canal.
The deficiency of folic acid when you are expecting can increase the risk of neural tube defects.
Miscarriage:
Miscarriage is one of the early pregnancy complications, in which you lose the developing baby before the 20th week of pregnancy. If a woman has a deficiency of folic acid, then it gets difficult for her to get pregnant and it even increases the chances of a miscarriage.
Congenital Heart Defects:
It is also one of the most common types of birth defect. This defect may affect the walls of the heart, the valves of the heart, or blood vessels. This defect basically affects the structure and the working of your baby’s heart.
Preterm Labor:
Preterm labor can cause premature delivery, which is not safe for your baby’s health. Delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy can increase the risk of disability in your baby. Sufficient intake of folic acid either through diet or through supplements can help to prevent preterm labor.
Cleft Palate:
The abnormality of the parts of the face is called as face cleft, and the opening in the roof of the mouth is called as cleft palate. In this birth defect, it gets very difficult for your baby to speak. Folic acid if taken properly also helps to prevent cleft palate and other birth abnormalities.
HOW MUCH IS RECOMMENDED
As the requirement of folic acid during pregnancy is more, so only folate rich foods are not sufficient to meet the daily requirement. You may need additional supplement as recommended by your doctor. In general, most women are advised to take 400 mcg supplement on a daily basis with folate-rich foods during pregnancy. But in some cases like: if you have diabetes, have any family history of neural tube defect, your previous pregnancy got affected by a neural tube defect, etc., then you may need a higher dose of folic acid. Just talk about it with your doctor to figure out your requirement of folic acid.
You can easily get folate supplements from a pharmacy. Some may get sufficient folic acid through pregnancy multivitamins. Just make sure your supplement or multivitamin that you take during pregnancy doesn’t contain a high dose of vitamin A (because it may cause development problem especially during first trimester). So it’s always better to consult your doctor before taking any supplement, especially when you plan for a baby, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
FOODS RICH IN FOLIC ACID
Now after talking about the supplement and the dosage, let’s talk about the foods that are rich in folic acid. The list of healthy foods which are rich in folate are as follows:
LEGUMES: Legumes including beans, peas, and lentils, are not just a great source of folate, but also rich in protein, potassium, iron, and fiber. You’ll get around 250 mcg of folic acid in just 1 cup of lentils and beans.
DARK LEAFY GREENS: Leafy greens are recommended during pregnancy because these are rich in folate, vitamin K, fiber, and many other essential nutrients. These are also good to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy. Spinach, kale, and arugula are some examples of green veggies. You’ll get around 262 mcg of folic acid in 1 cup cooked spinach.
CITRUS FRUITS: Citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc., are very juicy and delicious. These are rich in vitamin C and folate. These are very good to have during pregnancy, as it also helps to boost immunity. You’ll get around 35 mcg folic acid in 3/4 cups of oranges.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Brussels sprout is one of the very nutritious vegetable, which is rich in folate and other essential vitamins and minerals. These also help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. You’ll get 76 mcg in 1/2 cups of Brussels sprouts.
NUTS: Nuts are considered as the superfood because these are rich in protein, fiber, heart-healthy fats, and folate. Seeds are also rich in essential nutrients and folate. Just add a variety of nuts and seeds in your diet to get benefits of folic acid with many other nutrients during pregnancy.
BANANAS: Bananas are high in folate with many other nutrients like potassium, manganese, vitamin B6 etc. This fruit also provide you energy and helps to prevent neural tube defect during pregnancy. 1 medium banana has around 24 mcg folate.