As soon as you get pregnant all your girlfriends suddenly feel the need to chime in with their two cents. "Are you taking folic acid yet?"…… "Stop drinking alcohol…." It all sounds like a bit of a downer and you’re just coming to terms with the fact that your boobs hurt like hell and you aren’t sure what you are supposed to be feeling. But folic acid also called folate is actually one of those essential B vits that are used in our bodies to make new cells. By taking folic acid before pregnancy and during the first three months after conception, there is a significantly lower risk of neural-tube defects in your growing baby. 

Folic acid helps reduce the risk of spina bifida (failure of the spinal column to close during development) and anencephaly (abnormal development of the skull and/or brain). One study found that folic acid supplementation reduced the incidence of neural-tube defects by 70 per cent.

Folate deficiency may be caused by inadequate consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and oral contraceptives may increase your need for folate along with alcohol which can prevent folate absorption. Every woman of a child bearing age who is considering getting pregnant should take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid which works best when combined with vitamin B12 and vitamin C.

Food sources which are rich in folate include brown rice, beef, barley, chicken, dates, green leafy vegetables, oranges, mushrooms, milk, liver, lentils, wheat germ, salmon, tuna, pork, split peas, whole grains and whole wheat.

Start taking folic acid as a part of a prenatal multivitamin as soon as you conceive or take it with a general multivitamin if you are planning to conceive. Here are some recommended prenatal vitamins:

Complete Prenatal System multivitamin is the #1 selling prenatal formula in the health foods industry. http://www.webvitamins.com/product.aspx?id=11150

New Chapter’s Perfect Prenatal is a gentle, nourishing formulation which promotes physical stamina and emotional well-being and nurtures women and their babies during the special times of pregnancy, postpartum and lactation.

http://www.webvitamins.com/product.aspx?id=19349

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December 18th, 2006 | Permalink