Ask Sofia: Should I Take Folic Acid?
The short answer is yes – everyone needs folic acid.
The longer answer is that if you are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant now, folic acid is more important than ever.
A B vitamin, folic acid is needed by every single cell in the body for growth and development. Before and during early pregnancy, folic acid can help to prevent birth defects, specifically neural tube defects of the brain and spine – it might also serve to prevent cleft lip and palate and heart defects in babies.
At least one month before getting pregnancy, it is recommended to take a multivitamin or supplement with 400 micrograms of folic acid and to increase that to 600 micrograms during pregnancy to support your baby’s healthy development. Even if you’re not trying to get pregnant, a multivitamin with folic acid can protect you in case of an unplanned pregnancy and is also important for those with diabetes, obesity, arthritis or celiac disease.
While you can get folic acid from beans, green vegetables, citrus and peanuts, it is hard to get ample folic acid from your diet alone. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about specific requirements and do your body good with folic acid every day.
