Need a folic acid boost to your diet? Here are some tasty ways to get more of this vitamin each day.
Folic acid is a superstar nutrient. It’s so important to women’s reproductive health that in 1992 the United States Public Health Service began recommending that all women of childbearing age consume folic acid daily. And since 1998, the Food and Drug Administration has been fortifying certain whole grain foods like cereal, bread, and pasta with folic acid.
Found naturally in foods like oranges, strawberries, lentils, and spinach, the B vitamin is even hidden in some yummy nutritional snack foods and drinks, making it easier for you to add a little extra to your daily diet.
Why is folic acid so important? It plays a key role in reducing the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) like spina bifida in babies. Because a baby’s spinal cord forms within the first 28 days of pregnancy (and most women typically do not know they are pregnant for at least two weeks after conception), doctors urge women to consume the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 400 micrograms (mcg) during their reproductive years to ensure the nutrient is present in the body once they do conceive.
Since folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin (it cannot be stored in the body and therefore extra amounts exit the body through urine), there’s really no harm in taking more than the RDA.
However, if a woman is over-consuming folic acid because she's taking a supplement and eating a lot of fortified foods, there's a concern that she may be relying on too many processed foods, says Melinda Johnson, registered dietitian and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
“It’s probably a good idea for a woman trying to conceive to take a general multivitamin, which contains at least 400 mcg of folic acid,” says Johnson, who advises not exceeding 1,000 mcg a day unless instructed by your doctor. “On top of that, it is important that a woman try to eat a balanced diet containing foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein sources, and aim for a healthy weight.”
Men also shouldn’t overlook the health benefits of folic acid. A 2008 study from University of California, Berkeley, showed that men who took folic acid supplements and ate folate-rich foods had fewer abnormal sperm and fewer fertility problems. The RDA for men is the same as for women.
A folic acid supplement combined with a balanced diet is the healthiest way to get your daily intake. But when the snack attack hits in between meals, we suggest grabbing any of these tasty treats or drinks—all of which contain at least 20 percent of the folic acid RDA.
Bottoms Up
There's no shortage of folic acid and other beneficial vitamins in these bottled drinks. Take a swig and add more of the B vitamin to your diet.
Skinny Water
16 fl oz.
Folic acid: 200 mcg
Go for the calorie-free Lemonade Passionfruit (Total V), which contains nealy half of your folic acid RDA.
Bolthouse Farms
15 fl oz.
Folic acid: 120 mcg
Green Goodness is a surpisingly tasty mix including spinach, wheatgrass, and blue-green algae.
Tropicana Orange Juice
12 fl oz.
Folic acid: 80 mcg
Folate is found naturally in oranges, so the juice is an easy way to start your morning.
VitaminWater
20 fl oz.
Folic acid: 100 mcg
The refreshing and not-too-tangy Multi-V Lemonade is packed with vitamins from A to zinc.
Carnation Instant Breakfast
11 fl oz.
Folic acid: 100 mcg
Try either the French Vanilla or milk chocolate ready-to-drink flavors.
Chow Down
For the most folic acid benefit, you should eat a well-balanced diet and take a multivitamin. But for something on the go, grab any of these yummy fortified snacks.
VitaMuffin
2 oz.
Folic acid: 200 mcg
Curb your chocolate cravings with a VitaTops muffin, which has less sugar than an apple and 15 vitamins and nutrients.
Quaker
2.1 oz.
Folic acid: 80 mcg
The Oatmeal to Go bar has the benefits of a bowl of oatmeal, and comes in flavors like maple brown sugar and banana bread.
Kashi
1.76 oz.
Folic acid: 100 mcg
Made with whole grain cereal and dipped in chocolate, the five GoLean Crunchy bar varieties are packed with protein and fiber.
Cheerios
1.4 oz.
Folic acid: 200 mcg
If you've got a sweet tooth, try the Honey Nut Cheerios Milk 'n' Cereal Bar. Also comes in Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs.
Clif Bar
2.4 oz.
Folic acid: 80 mcg
With 70 percent organic ingredients, the all-natural Clif Bar offers a high-fiber mix of whole grains in 19 different flavors.
Luna
1.41 oz.
Folic acid: 200 mcg
If you love Luna bars, you'll like the new Luna Cookie. The square-shaped snack is also a good source of omega-3s.
A version of this article originally appeared in the Fall 2009 issue of Conceive Magazine.
Related Topics: Boost Your Fertility, Fertility Foods, Fertility Nutrition
