Recommendation for pregnant women to take folate

It is really worrying nowadays that most women didn’t take enough folate from their diet. The
basic recommended daily intake of folate, one of the B vitamin’s for women is 400
micrograms (mcg) per day. However, the requirements increase substantially in
pregnancy which they suppose to consume at least 600 mcg of folate from their daily
diet, in addition to help prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). NTDs are major birth defects of
the baby’s brain (anencephaly) and spine (spina bifida).

It is really recommended for women to boost their daily intake of folate acid for at least
one month prior to pregnancy if you are planning a pregnancy. Even women who are
sexually active but aren’t planning to have a baby should increase their folate intake
because around half of all pregnancies are unplanned.

It’s difficult to measure just how much folate you get from your diet because the vitamin
is affected by how foods are cooked and stored. Moreover, folate is water-soluble and is easily
destroyed by cooking. Vegetables are best lightly cooked or even eaten raw. Cooking by
microwave or steaming is best. So this problem cause some women didn’t aware about
their intake of folate. To ensure adequate daily intake, using of folic acid supplements is
one of a good way.

Besides, folic acid is available in multivitamins, prenatal vitamins, and as a pure folic acid
supplement. It is also added to fortify certain foods, including flour, pasta, breads, cereals,
cornmeal, and rice, and it has been added to some oral estrogen-progestin contraceptive pills
to ensure adequate baseline folate levels in the event of unplanned pregnancy from
inconsistent or incorrect contraceptive use or conception soon after discontinuation.1

Multi-vitamin supplements generally contain less. The best way to guarantee you get enough
folic acid is to take a daily folic acid supplement at least one month before and three months
after conception. You don’t need to take folic acid supplements after that.2

You can increase your folate intake by eating folate-rich foods, including folate-fortified
foods in your daily diet or by taking a folic acid supplement. Good sources of folate
include green leafy vegetables, fruit (citrus, berries and bananas), legumes and some
cereals (many breakfast cereals now have added folate).

1-https://www.uptodate.com/contents/folic-acid-supplementation-in-pregnancy
2-https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/folate-and-pregnancy
References
1) Approved by The Women’s Royal Women’s Hospital , Folate for Pregnant Women, last
updated on September 2015 retrieved from
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/folate-for-pregnant-women
2) Health Direct, Folate and Pregnancy , last updated on September 2018, retrieved from
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/folate-and-pregnancy
3) Laura M Goetzl, MD, MPH , Folic acid supplementation in pregnancy ,last updated on
January 2019 , retrieved from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/folic-acid-
supplementation-in-pregnancy