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Folate (Folic acid)
Function: Folate is needed for the formation and growth of healthy blood cells. It has been shown to reduce the risk of pregnant women having babies with a neural tube defect (this is when the protective casings fail to develop properly in the spinal cord or the brain of the unborn baby).

Sources: Folate is found in many foods, rich sources include green leafy vegetables, potatoes, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified bread, offal, nuts and beans. Fruit, yeast extract meat and dairy products contain small amounts. Folate is readily lost in cooking water.

Folate content of selected foods ug per 100g of food

Recommended intake: 200ug a day for adults. Pregnant and lactating women need an additional 100ug and 60ug a day respectively. In addition, all pregnant women up to the 12th week of pregnancy and those planning to conceive are advised to take a daily supplement of 400ug folic acid (folic acid is the synthetic form of folate) to reduce the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect.

Deficiency: A type of anaemia called megaloblastic anaemia occurs as a result of a deficiency in folate. Deficiency can occur from a poor diet, increased requirements during pregnancy or in gastrointestional diseases that prevents folate from being absorbed from the gut.

Toxicity: High intakes can lead to zinc being poorly absorbed from the diet. Liver is a rich source of the vitamin but should be avoided by pregnant women because it also contains high levels of vitamin A, which can damage the unborn baby.