Put Folate on Your Plate

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that helps our bodies make new, healthy red blood cells for transporting oxygen. Expectant mothers who take folate can decrease the risk to their babies of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, including spina bifida.

It has been estimated that 4,000 pregnancies are affected by this developmental defect each year, yet only 7% of pregnant women are informed to consume folate before pregnancy (1). The greatest news is that up to 70% of neural tube defects may be prevented if women start consuming folate shortly before they conceive (1).

Because nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, it is recommended that all women throughout their childbearing years consume folate (2).

How much folate is enough?
The U.S. RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for folate is 400 micrograms per day (2). Since January 1998, enriched foods such as bread, rolls, flour, cornmeal, rice, pasta and ready-to-eat cereals have been fortified with folic acid, a man-made form of folate (2). These foods, along with folate-rich fruits and vegetables, make it very easy to meet the daily recommendations.

Get that "folate on your plate" by incorporating foods like Cheerios with orange juice or a tossed salad mixed with fresh spinach, black beans and broccoli. Refer to the list below to include a variety of folate-rich foods each day.

Folate-rich food sources

Food (1/2 cup, unless specified)	Folate* (mcg)
Product 19; Total; Multi-grain Cheerios cereal	400
Lentils	180
Chickpeas or Pinto beans	145
Black beans; spinach	130
Pasta, cooked (1 cup)	100-120
Asparagus (5 spears)	110
Most breakfast cereals (1 cup); wheat germ (1/4 cup)	100
Collards	90
Rice, enriched (1 cup)	80
Romaine lettuce, shredded (1 cup)	75
Orange juice (1 cup)	60
Brussels sprouts or soybeans; green peas or parsnips	45
Broccoli; orange; peanuts	40

* Source: Manufacturers and USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

If it is difficult to meet the daily requirements with food, a simple multivitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folic acid is appropriate. Consult with a Registered Dietitian if you have specific dietary concerns or questions.

References

1. Johnston RD Jr. Folic Acid: New Dimensions of an Old Friendship. In: Advances in Pediatrics. Vol. 44. St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby-Year Book, Inc., 1997.
2. Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intake: Folate, Other B Vitamins, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998.

Tami Donnelly, RD, CD
Outpatient Dietitian
Froedtert & Medical Collegel

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.