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Every pregnant woman is recommended to take folic acid from the day of conception. You should not forget about it even during the planning period – and it is desirable to take it together with your spouse. Indeed, the egg and sperm are involved in fertilization, and folic acid helps to improve the genetic material of the parents.
Today, one of the important tasks in medicine is to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.1 The mother’s body needs the necessary vitamins and minerals, and special attention should be paid to folic acid.1
What is folic acid
– Ordinary pharmacy folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9, which is easily absorbed by the body. It is she who is most often found in multivitamins and fortified foods,” explains our expert Yulia Golesheva, obstetrician, gynecologist, gynecologist-endocrinologist, reproductologist. – Folate is a form of B9 found in food sources: dark green leafy vegetables, asparagus, spinach, liver, cheese.
At the same time, folic acid may not be absorbed by everyone. Folic acid metabolism disorders occur in about 10% of people.2
Why do women need folic acid
It has been proven that taking folic acid before conception and during pregnancy helps prevent congenital malformations of the fetus associated with a defect in the neural tube – the basis of the spinal cord and brain. Since the laying of the neural tube of the fetus occurs at 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, when a woman may not be aware of her position, it is worth taking folic acid at the planning stage. The recommended safe dosage is 400 micrograms (0,4 mg).
What foods contain folic acid
| Product | Folic acid content |
| Bananas (1 pc.) | 23,6 μg |
| Beef liver (100 g) | 240 μg |
| Nuts (100 g) | 40 mcg to 250 mcg (depending on species) |
| Green asparagus (100 g) | 260 μg |
| Legumes (100 g) | 200 μg |
| Beets (100 g) | 148 μg |
| Spinach (1 cup) | 60 μg |
| Orange (1 pc.) | 55 μg |
| Avocado (half) | 82 μg |
Benefits of folic acid
Taking folic acid during pregnancy reduces the risk of the following birth defects:
- neural tube defects of the fetus;3
- other malformations: esophageal atresia (when the esophagus is divided into 2 isolated segments), cleft palate (cleft palate), malformations of the urinary tract.3
Folic acid is also important for many other processes because:
- ensures normal growth and division of cells;
- helps to strengthen nails and hair;
- participates in hematopoiesis and reduces the risk of anemia;
- participates in DNA synthesis;
- restores muscle tissue;
- supports the immune system;
- reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
The harm of folic acid
Folic acid does not pose a danger to the body. Nevertheless, you should not exceed the dosage recommended by doctors when taking dietary supplements and vitamin-mineral complexes with folic acid. This can cause allergic skin reactions, sleep disturbances, nausea, and upset stools.
Instructions for the use of folic acid for women
For healthy adults, the recommended intake of folic acid is 0,4 mg per day.
Patients planning pregnancy are also shown 0,4 mg of folic acid per day. It is recommended to drink it within 6 months before the conception of a child and up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
– To compensate for deficiency and prevention, regular folic acid tablets (400 mcg) are quite suitable. It would be nice to lean on natural sources of folic acid: green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, legumes, cereals, says reproductive specialist Yulia Golesheva.
With a balanced diet, you can easily get enough folic acid daily.
If the patient had a history of pregnancy with a defect in the neural tube of the fetus, then she is shown increased doses of folic acid, which are determined by the doctor. But it should be noted that neural tube defects also occur due to smoking, drug use, and some chronic diseases.3
Popular questions and answers
Can there be an overdose of folic acid, how to recognize its deficiency, as well as other popular questions, our experts will answer: obstetrician, gynecologist, reproductologist Yulia Golesheva и gynecologist-endocrinologist Natalya Belyaeva.
What are the symptoms of a folic acid overdose in women?
What are the symptoms of folic acid deficiency in women?
How to check the level of folic acid in the body?
Can older people take folic acid?
Who needs to take higher doses of folic acid?
Sources of:
- Folic acid and its role in female reproduction. Academic research paper on clinical medicine. Kuznetsova I.V., Konovalov V.A. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/folievaya-kislota-i-ee-rol-v-zhenskoy-reproduktsii
- Primary prevention of congenital malformations. Novikova S.V., Zhuchenko L.A. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/pervichnaya-profilaktika-vrozhdennyh-porokov-razvitiya-1
- Folic acid, pregnancies and pregnancy: modern aspects. Text of a scientific article in the specialty “Clinical Medicine”. Romanov A.Yu., Dolgushina N.V. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/folievaya-kislota-pregravidarnaya-podgotovka-i-beremennost-sovremennye-aspekty