ABOUT FOLIC ACID
> What
is a folic acid?
> How
much should women take?
> What
do NC women know about folic acid?
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B vitamin that everyone needs to get every
day. If women have enough of this vitamin in their bodies
before and in the earliest stages of pregnancy, their chance
of having a baby with serious birth defects can be reduced
by up to 70 %. Sufficient folic acid intake may help protect
men and women against heart disease, stroke and certain
kinds of cancer.
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, just like vitamin
C. Water-soluble vitamins can dissolve in water and are
not stored in the body in large amounts. Therefore water-soluble
vitamins must be eaten or taken every day to ensure the
body has enough to function properly. Folic acid found in
foods is called folate. Folate is not used by the body as
well as folic acid, the man-made form in pills.
| Folic acid helps: |
- cells divide and function
- form hemoglobin, which carries oxygen
in red blood cells,
- keep blood homocysteine levels low--
this may protect against heart disease
and stroke-- and
- prevent certain cancers, especially
colon and cervical cancer
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How
much should women take?
All women should take a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms
of folic acid every day and eat a healthy diet. The
body more readily absorbs folic acid from vitamin pills
than natural folate found in food.
Some women need to take more folic acid when planning a
pregnancy. Women who have had
a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect, have an NTD,
or have a close family member with an NTD, have a higher
chance of having an NTD-affected pregnancy. These women
must talk to their doctor when planning a pregnancy to discuss
taking a necessary higher amount to prevent another NTD.
| Because the evidence
of folic acid's role in preventing birth defects is
so strong, many government, health and non-profit organizations
recommend that women take 400 micrograms folic acid
daily. Some of these agencies include: |
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What do NC
women know about folic acid?
| Unfortunately some NC women still haven't
heard about folic acid and most don't take a multivitamin
with folic acid. Recent survey results obtained through
the NC Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
showed that: |
- 23% of women have never heard of
folic acid
- 74% do not take a multivitamin with
folic acid
- About 60% do not know that folic
acid can help prevent birth defects
- Around 90% do not know that folic
acid should be taken before pregnancy
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