Saturday 18 January 2014

The role of Folic acid for preconception and pregnancy - Benefits of folic acid

benefits of folic acid

The role of Folic acid for preconception and pregnancy is very important, especially when you’re having a baby or planning a pregnancy. In both conditions you must need to take the required quantity of folic acid and also you should know the importance of folic acid.  But it is also a very important question that how much folic acid during pregnancy is required? Here's what you need to know about folic acid.
What is folic acid?

Folic acid (also known as folate or vitamin B9) is a vitamin that helps to grow and protect body cells. It is found in some foods, especially green leafy vegetables, and vitamin supplements.

Why folic acid is it important during preconception and pregnancy?

Your body needs folic acid when cells grow and multiply very rapidly, so you should use foods with folic acid during pregnancy. This phenomenon occurs during pregnancy when the uterus (womb) grows, the placenta grows a larger amount of blood circulating in the body and the fetus grows. All these aspects mean that folic acid is important for a healthy pregnancy.

As your body changes, your baby is also growing rapidly. Healthy eating habits and an appropriate level of vitamins and minerals such as folic acid before conception and during pregnancy helps reduce the risk of birth defects. There are many benefits of folic acid for examples, folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects such as neural tube defects (NTDs), congenital heart disease, limb abnormalities, abnormalities of the urinary tract, the narrowing of the lower digestive tract, and oral facial clefts (such as cleft lip and cleft palate).
How to get folic acid in sufficient quantity?

Folic acid is found in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, whole grains and other foods. Since 1998, Canada, enriched white flour, pasta and cornmeal are fortified with folic acid. Since then, there has been a decrease in the rate of neural tube defects in Canada.

We should use foods high in folic acid in the process of pregnancy, here is a list of some recommended as food sources of folic acid:

  • Fortified grains
  • Spinach
  • Lentils
  • Chickpeas
  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli
  • Peas
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Corn
  • Oranges



Make sure to get daily folic sufficient acid is a challenge. That is why the experts recommend taking a multivitamin with folic acid to ensure the necessary amount for you and your baby. But always keep in mind that how much folic acid during pregnancy is required?

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