Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R. Importance Who should take it? Recommended intake Natural sources Deficiency Side effects Summary We include products we think are useful for our readers.
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Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. These—and other parts of the body — make new cells each day. Folic acid is the synthetic that is, not generally occurring naturally form of folate used in supplements and in fortified foods such as rice, pasta, bread, and some breakfast cereals.
When the baby is developing early during pregnancy, folic acid helps form the neural tube. Learn more about the recommended intake level of folic acid here. Every woman of reproductive age needs to get folic acid every day, whether she is planning to get pregnant or not, to help make new cells. Folate is a general term to describe many different types of vitamin B9. Food fortification is a way to add vitamins or minerals, or both, to foods. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.
Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Folate. Micromedex 2. Accessed Aug. Folic acid folacin; pteroylglutamic acid; folate oral. Fairfield KM. Vitamin supplementation in disease prevention. Folate: Fact sheet for health professionals. Accessed Oct. Kaushansky K, et al. Folate, cobalamin, and megaloblastic anemias. In: Williams Hematology. If the symptoms get worse, contact your doctor straight away.
Usually, folic acid is safe to take during pregnancy. Folic acid and breastfeeding Folic acid is safe to take while you're breastfeeding. But if your baby is premature or has health problems, check with your doctor first. Important Tell your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, already pregnant or breastfeeding. There are some medicines that may interfere with how folic acid works. Folic acid can also affect the way other medicines work.
Tell your doctor if you're taking these medicines before you start taking folic acid: methotrexate, a medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and some types of cancer phenytoin, fosphenytoin, phenobarbital or primidone, medicines used to treat epilepsy fluorouracil, capecitabine, raltitrexed or tegafur, medicines used to treat some types of cancer antibiotics, medicines used to treat or prevent bacterial infection medicines or alternative remedies that contain zinc including throat lozenges and cold remedies sulfasalazine, a medicine used to treat the inflammatory bowel conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease cholestyramine, a medicine used to reduce cholesterol Mixing folic acid with herbal remedies or supplements Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any herbal remedies or supplements together with folic acid.
Some vitamin and mineral supplements may already contain folic acid. Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you take any supplements or remedies that contain zinc. Folic acid can stop zinc working as well as it should. Important For safety, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements.
How does folic acid work? In anaemia Folic acid helps make healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body.
This causes folate deficiency anaemia, which can cause tiredness and other symptoms. In pregnancy A baby's body and most of their internal organs are formed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Women need up to 10 times more folate in pregnancy to help the baby develop. To reduce the side effects of methotrexate Methotrexate works by blocking some of the effects of folate.
Taking folic acid can help prevent the side effects of folate deficiency. How long does folic acid take to work? Folic acid usually starts to work in a few hours. It's important to keep taking your folic acid for as long as it's recommended. How long will I take it for? This depends on why you're taking folic acid: In pregnancy - women are recommended to take folic acid while they're trying for a baby and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Are there other sources of folate?
Good sources of folate include: spinach, kale, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli peas, lentils and beans including chickpeas and black eyed beans yeast and beef extracts including Marmite and Bovril oranges and orange juice wheat bran and other wholegrain foods poultry, pork, shellfish and liver fortified foods with added folic acid including some brands of breakfast cereals.
Do I need to take folic acid in pregnancy if I already eat foods that contain folate? Yes, you still need to take folic acid. Women need up to 10 times more folate in pregnancy to help the baby grow. It's unlikely that you would be able to achieve this through diet alone.
Why do I need to take folic acid before getting pregnant? So it's best to start taking folic acid as soon as you start trying for a baby.
Taking folic acid in early pregnancy reduces this risk to 1 in every What happens if I do not take folic acid before getting pregnant or during early pregnancy? If you have not taken folic acid before getting pregnant, talk to your doctor or midwife. They'll be able to advise you what this means for your pregnancy.
They'll take into consideration your risk of folate deficiency and medical history.
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