The National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA) mission is to improve health by promoting the benefits and consumption of folic acid. Adequate folic acid intake is important for the prevention of birth defects.
Messages Folic Acid Awareness Week
wants all women
of childbearing age to know.
wants all women
of childbearing age to know.
1. Folic acid is a vitamin that can help prevent birth defects. Women of childbearing age need an extra 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily.
2. Women can get the recommended 400 mcg of folic acid by taking a multivitamin or eating fortified foods. Check the label of your cereal to see if it has 100% DV (daily value) of folic acid.
3. The important growth of the baby happens very early in pregnancy before most women know they are pregnant. Folic acid can prevent birth defects in the baby’s brain or spine if a woman takes it before and during pregnancy.
4. Remember to take a prenatal vitamin with iron and folic acid daily if pregnant.
Although all enriched cereals and grain products in the U.S. are fortified with B-vitamin folic acid, only one-third of U.S. women of childbearing age consume the recommended amount from their diet. Taking a multivitamin with folic acid daily is a key way that women can get the recommended amount of 400 mcg.
Be Prepared Before Pregnancy
Women need folic acid, even if they are not planning to become pregnant, since 50% of all pregnancies are unplanned. Taking folic acid before pregnancy reduces the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine, called neural tube defects (NTDs), by up to 70%.
Message to the Hispanic Community
Hispanic babies are 1.5 to 2 times more likely than others in the U.S. to be born with an NTD. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that Latinas in the U.S. consume the least amount of folic acid and have the least knowledge about folic acid among racial or ethnic groups.
Food Sources
Folate is naturally present in a wide variety of foods, including vegetables (especially dark green leafy vegetables), fruits and fruit juices, nuts, beans, peas, seafood, eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry, and grains. Spinach, liver, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts are among the foods with the highest folate levels.
In January 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring manufacturers to add 140 mcg folic acid/100 g to enriched bread, cereals, flour, corn meals, pasta, rice, and other grain products to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Because cereals and grains are widely consumed in the United States, these products have become important contributors of folic acid to the American diet. The fortification program increased mean folic acid intakes in the United States by about 190 mcg/day. In April 2016, the FDA approved the voluntary addition of up to 154 mcg of folic acid/100 g to corn masa flour.
Not only is this a father
with a beautiful song,
but he has an important message
about folic acid and Birth Defects.
Resources
1. Folate, Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH