Folic Acid Benefits Moms-to-Be—and Everyone Else

It’s well-known that taking folic acid helps promote healthy births, but this B vitamin does much more for your health

Folic acid is an important type of B vitamin for both women and men. It helps form red blood cells and produce DNA, which carries genetic information. It works with vitamins B-12 and C to help the body break down, use and create new proteins.

“Everyone needs folic acid, not just women who are pregnant or planning a family, says internal medicine physician Kathleen Bridges, DO, with LVPG Internal Medicine–Nazareth Road. “Folate is the naturally occurring form of the vitamin, while folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements and some foods.”

Folate is found naturally in many different foods, including vegetables (especially dark leafy greens), fruits, beans and other legumes, and nuts. Since 1998, the FDA has required food manufacturers to add folic acid to enriched bread, cereal, wheat and corn flour, and other grain products.

Besides preventing neural tube defects in babies, folic acid and folate have other potential effects on health:

Folic acid might reduce the risk of having a premature baby and help prevent other birth defects like congenital heart problems.
Folic acid supplements have been shown to help prevent stroke in some studies.
A low blood level of folate is linked to depression and a lower response to treatment with antidepressants.

How much folic acid should you take?

On food labels and supplements, folate levels are listed as micrograms (mcg) of dietary folate equivalents (DFEs). According to the National Institutes of Health, mcg DFE is used because your body absorbs more folic acid from fortified foods and dietary supplements than folate found naturally in foods.

Here are recommended mcg DFEs for folic acid:

Ages	Folic acid per day
Birth to 6 months	65 mcg DFE
Babies 7 to 12 months	80 mcg DFE
Children 1 to 3 years	150 mcg DFE
Children 4 to 8 years	200 mcg DFE
Children 9 to 13 years	300 mcg DFE
Teens 14 to 18 years	400 mcg DFE
Adults	400 mcg DFEs

Because folic acid is so important during pregnancy, pregnant teens and women should have 600 mcg DFE per day, and women who are breastfeeding need 500 mcg DFE.

A primary care clinician can advise you about folic acid supplements or other preventive care questions. Make an appointment with your primary care clinician through MyLVHN, or call 888-402-LVHN (5846) to schedule an appointment.