Folic Acid & Pregnancy

If you are planning a pregnancy it is always a good idea to look at your diet. Are you eating enough of the right foods? Are you drinking too much alcohol and smoking? Are you drinking enough water? These are areas in which you will most probably look towards in order to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Recent studies have shown that women who have a high level of vitamin folate (folic acid or vitamin B9) prior to becoming pregnant are less likely to give birth to a baby with neural tube defect, the most common being Spina Bifida which affects the lower spine. It has now been shown that a diet rich in folate prior to and in early pregnancy will prevent up to 70 percent of these cases.

Folate is found mostly in green leafy vegetables, wholegrain breads, cereals and legumes (peas, beans and lentils). Taking a daily vitamin supplement will also help however, increasing your folic acid intake through the foods you eat is not only natural but helps you to eat more healthily prior to and during your pregnancy. It is recommended that you take at least 400 mcg of folic acid per day, some of these sources include:

1/2 cup chicken liver: 539 mcg
1/2 cup beef liver: 184.5 mcg
1/2 cup lentils: 179 mcg
1/2 cup cereal (fortified): 146-179 mcg
Medium-sized papaya: 115 mcg
1 oz. wheat germ: 100 mcg
4 spears steamed or boiled asparagus: 88 mcg
1/2 cup steamed broccoli: 52 mcg
1 cup cantaloupe: 27.2 mcg
Large hard-boiled egg: 22 mcg
3 oz. canned salmon: 17 mcg