You know that you should exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. You might wonder how you can fit another thing into your day. But it only takes a few seconds to take a vitamin to get all the folic acid you need. How much do you know about folic acid? Take this quiz and find out. If taking folic acid for reasons other than neural tube defect prevention, talk to your healthcare provider.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Folic Acid. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. 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. Can I take folic acid with painkillers? You can take folic acid at the same time as everyday painkillers such as paracetamol. Paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
Can I drink alcohol with it? Drinking alcohol might mean your folic acid may not work as well. Is there any food or drink I need to avoid? You can eat and drink normally while taking folic acid. Will it affect my contraception? Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Information For… Media Policy Makers. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Doctors may use folic acid to support a methotrexate prescription for rheumatoid arthritis. Methotrexate is an effective medication for this condition, but it may remove folate from the body, causing gastrointestinal symptoms. Most people get enough folate from their diet, and folate deficiency is rare in the United States.
That being said, official guidelines recommend that all pregnant women and women who might become pregnant take folic acid. This is because folic acid is crucial for early fetal development. The spinal cord is one of the first parts of the body to form, and folate deficiency can lead to spinal cord irregularities.
Those who are breastfeeding should aim to take around mcg per day. The body absorbs folic acid from supplements and fortified foods better than the folate from naturally occurring foods.
The Office of Dietary Supplements recommend that people get the following dietary folate equivalents DFEs from food or vitamin sources:. It is important to note that folic acid can interact with certain medications and may not be safe for everyone to take. A person should speak to a doctor before taking folic acid if they have any of the following :. Folic acid is present in dietary supplements and fortified foods, including breads, flours, cereals, and grains. It is also a common addition to B-complex vitamins.
Many foods are naturally high in folate. The best sources include :. Folate deficiency occurs when there is not enough folate present in the body. This can lead to a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia. There are no serious side effects associated with taking too much folic acid.
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