What is Folate?
Foods High In Folate
Folate is a water soluble vitamin and is a natural source of vitamin B9. Folate is involved in embryonic and fetal development, cell division, nuclei acid synthesis, cellular growth and replication. It is found in many foods such as:
- Legumes
- Leafy green vegetables
- Fortified cereals
- Liver
- Citrus fruits
- Whole-wheat bread
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for folate in women that are not pregnant is 400 ug/per day. A significant proportion of women of reproductive age have low dietary folate intake and do not use folic acid-containing supplements or eat fortified cereals. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for folate in women who are pregnant is 600 ug/day.
Why Should I Worry About My Folate Intake Now?
All women of child-bearing age should meet the recommendation of folate to prevent neural tube defects. This is important because the central nervous system develops in the fetus during the first weeks of gestation. By day 23 the neural tube that will become the spinal cord has closed. Neural tube development is complete before most women are aware that they are pregnant. It is strongly recommended that folate supplementation should begin one month before conception.
A Neural Tube Defect
Risks To You and Your Baby With Compromised Folate Intake
Adequate folate intake is extremely important before and during pregnancy. There are multiple consequences to the baby and mother with inadequate folate intake, which include:
- Neural tube defects
- Preterm delivery (leading cause of infant mortality)
- Infant low birth weight
- Fetal growth retardation
- Increased spontaneous abortion
- Pregnancy complications (placental abruption and preeclampsia)
- Respiratory distress syndrome
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- Intraventricular hemorrhage
- Necrotizing enterocolitis
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypertension
- Developmental disorders (learning disabilities, childhood psychiatric disorders, mental retardation, child growth and development disruptions)
- May play a role in Down’s Syndrome
It is clear to see that you should definitely consume the recommended amount of folate before pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. Consuming the recommended amount during pregnancy is also extremely important, as seen above. All women of child-bearing age should consume foods high in folate, and also take a supplement if they are planning on becoming pregnant.
Sources
Kaiser LL, Allen L. Nutrition and lifestyle for a healthy pregnancy outcome. J AM Diet Assoc 2002;102:1470-1490
Hi Emma,
Folate is one of the biggest nutrients that should be focussed on in pregnancy as you mentioned. It is so true that women often don’t think of folate until they are actually pregnant. I know it is difficult for those who have unplanned pregnancies (which is why it is important for women in their reproductive years to make sure they are getting enough folate). I do know that for women who are trying to get pregnant, many doctors suggest going on a folate supplement (or at least increasing their dietary intake of folate) before they conceive the baby.
After doing our dietary assessment of our diet, I think a lot of the women in our class realized that their folate intake was surprisingly low. I was actually shocked that mine was around the RDI. I feel it is important to make sure we maintain the recommended levels of folate.
Have a nice weekend.
Krista.
Hey Krista,
Yes, folate supplements are definitely recommended for women of child-bearing age. I think my folate consumption was low too in regards to my dietary assessment. It shocked me that when I do plan on becoming pregnant (not anytime soon), I will definitely have to watch out for this. Folate is something that we don’t really think about until we become pregnant and then we realize we have to get our folate under control.