Pregnancy & Baby 

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Fantastic folic

It's the crucial vitamin to be up on when you want to have a baby. Sue Gilbert explains why you need to boost your intake

What is folic acid?
Folic acid is an essential B vitamin – because it cannot be produced by the body and must be consumed daily through diet. Women should get 400 micrograms (.4 milligrams) of folic acid every day from their diet. If this isn’t possible, it’s recommended that you take a multivitamin as well.

What can folic acid do?
Folic acid can help protect an unborn baby from developing spina bifida (abnormal development of the spinal cord) and anencephaly (absence of most of the brain). Infants born with anencephaly die shortly after birth. Depending on the severity, babies with spina bifida are born with partial or total paralysis. Folic acid protects the neural tube to let it close properly, leading to normal brain and spinal cord development.

The neural tube closes between the 25th and 30th day after conception, which means that the window of opportunity is pretty small. Most women don’t know they are pregnant until after the neural tube has attempted to close. So if you get folic acid only after you find out you’re pregnant, it is too late. This explains the recommendation that all women of child-bearing age get 400 micrograms of folic acid each day.

What about heart disease?
Studies have found a link between high levels of homocysteine in the blood and heart disease. Homocysteine is a byproduct of an amino acid found in foods that contain protein. It is believed that high levels of homocysteine cause the artery walls to become sticky, allowing cholesterol to build up. The verdict is still out on a definite connection, but it is clear that in most healthy individuals the B vitamins – including folic acid, B6 and B12 – protect the body from accumulating excess homocysteine. Adults with and without heart disease should strive to get 400 micrograms of folic acid per day.

Which foods are high in folic acid?

Good sources

• Orange and tomato juices
• Oranges
• Fresh strawberries
• Banana
• Grapefruit
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Brussels sprouts
• Green peas
• Romaine
• Broccoli

Tip: Prevent the loss of folic acid while cooking by steaming, microwaving or stir-frying your fresh vegetables.

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