Folic Acid

What To Think About

• The American Heart Association recommends a healthy, balanced diet to get the daily recommended intake of folic acid to prevent folic acid deficiency anemia. Many foods have folic acid, such as citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, and vitamin-fortified cereals.
• You might need to take a folic acid supplement if you have anemia and cannot get enough folic acid from food. Your doctor can tell you if you need to take a supplement.
• Taking folic acid before and during pregnancy can reduce the chance of having a baby with a neural tube defect or other birth defects, such as cleft lip or cleft palate. Total recommended intake of folic acid is 400 mcg (0.4 mg) to 600 mcg (0.6 mg) a day for all women of childbearing age.¹ Doctors recommend a daily supplement with 400 mcg (0.4 mg) folic acid in addition to eating a regular healthy diet both before and during pregnancy. Women who have a family history of neural tube defects, or who have had a baby with a neural tube defect, should take a daily supplement with 4000 mcg (4 mg) folic acid.
• The folic acid test is often done at the same time as a test for vitamin B12. For more information, see the medical test Vitamin B12.
• Research studies are being done to see if folic acid supplements help reduce the chance of developing certain forms of cancer.
• Blood plasma levels of folic acid can be increased by eating foods rich in folate. If folic acid deficiency anemia is a concern, folic acid levels in the red blood cells can be measured.
• For more information on folic acid deficiency anemia and what foods have folic acid, see the topic Folic Acid Deficiency Anemia.

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: December 23, 2008
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
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