Folic Acid

[marie]

Also called: Folacin, Folate, Pteroylglutamic acid, Vitamin B9
Everyone needs the B vitamin folic acid everyday. Our bodies use it to make healthy new cells daily, for skin, hair, nails, and other parts of the body.

Food Sources of Folate

• Cooked dry beans and peas
• Deep green leaves like spinach and mustard greens
• Oranges and orange juice

Especially Important!!

It is very important for women who can get pregnant to make sure they get 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before getting pregnant. If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine (anencephaly and spina bifida) by 50% to 70%.

Two easy ways to get enough folic acid each day are:

• 1. Everyday take a multivitamin that contains 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid. Or you can take a small pill (supplement) that has only folic acid in it each day.
  OR
• 2. Eat a bowl of breakfast cereal that has 100% of the daily value of folic acid every day. Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has "100%" next to folic acid.

Spina Bifida

Pronounced spy·nuh bif-i-duh

Spina bifida is the most common birth defect in the United States. It is a type of neural tube defect (NTD). The neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy to form the brain and spinal cord. Spina bifida happens if the portion of the neural tube that forms the spinal cord does not close completely during the first month of pregnancy.

Remember:

For folic acid to help prevent major birth defects, a woman needs to start taking folic acid at least one month before she becomes pregnant and while she is pregnant.

Source: cdc.gov

[Anonymous Bot]

[marie]

Some Cereals With 100% of the Daily Value of Folic Acid

Please look at the nutrition label on the side of the cereal box for the serving size.

General Mills

• Multibran Chex
• Wheat Chex
• Multi-Grain Cheerios
• Raisin Bran

General Mills Total

• Raisin Bran
• Whole Grain
• Cranberry Crunch
• Honey Clusters
• Cinnamon Crunch

Kashi Heart to Heart

Kellogg's

• All-Bran Bran Buds
• All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes
• All-Bran Extra Fiber
• All-Bran Original
• All-Bran Yogurt Bites
• All-Bran Strawberry Medley
• Low-Fat Granola with Raisins
• Low-Fat Granola without Raisins
• Product 19
• Mueslix
• Smart Start
• Special K

Malt-O-Meal Crispy Rice
Malt-O-Meal Spooners

Quaker Oats

• Cap'n Crunch Original
• Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries
• Cap'n Crunch's Choco Crunch
• Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch
• Honey Graham OH!s
• King Vitamin
• Cinnamon Life
• Squares Brown Sugar
• Squares Cinnamon
• Squares Golden Maple
• Quisp

Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Cereal Brown Sugar Bliss
Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Cereal Honey Nut Heaven

[marie]

Each Year in the United States:

• There are 3,000 pregnancies affected by spina bifida or anencephaly, which are neural tube defects (NTDs) caused by the incomplete closing of the spine and skull.
• An estimated 1,000 more babies are born healthy since fortification.
• 50% to 70% of these neural tube defects (NTDs) could be prevented if women took 400 mcg of folic acid daily, before and during pregnancy.
• Half of all pregnancies are unplanned.

Hispanic/Latina Women

• Have the highest rate among women having a child affected by these birth defects.
• Have lower blood folate levels and are less likely to consume foods fortified with folic acid.
• Are less likely to have heard about folic acid, to know it can prevent birth defects, or take vitamins containing folic acid before pregnancy.

Source: cdc.gov