Hot Topic: Folic Acid
Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells. According to womenshealth.gov, all women need folic acid. If enough folic acid is in her body before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby’s brain or spine.
Folic acid is especially important during the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she's pregnant. Also, because many pregnancies are unplanned, every woman needs to be sure she has enough folic acid in her body every day, even if she's not planning a pregnancy.
But folic acid isn't just for developing babies. Some studies suggest the vitamin may help prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.
All women should get at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. One way is by taking a daily vitamin that has folic acid (sometimes also called "folate"), eating a serving of breakfast cereal that contains 100% of your daily value of folic acid, and maintaining a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables.
Find out more about folic acid by calling your local health department and talking with a nutritionist.
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