Folic Acid Awareness Week
Folic Acid Awareness Week: First Week of January
During the first full week of January, observe Folic Acid Awareness Week. This week shines a light on the power of prevention. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body make new cells. It’s especially vital during early pregnancy. It helps prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine, known as neural tube defects.
Why Folic Acid Matters
Folic acid is most effective when taken before and during early pregnancy. Many women don’t know they’re pregnant until weeks in. That’s why daily folic acid is key for anyone who could become pregnant. The CDC recommends 400 micrograms per day. It’s a simple step with life-changing impact. Folic acid can be found in supplements and fortified foods like cereal, pasta, and bread.
Take Action, Spread Awareness
Talk to your doctor. Read food labels. Encourage others to do the same. Folic Acid Awareness Week is a time to speak up. Share facts. Protect future generations. Small choices today can prevent heartbreaking outcomes tomorrow.
Why is Folic Acid Necessary?
Folic acid is a B-vitamin that is necessary for proper cell growth. If taken before and during early pregnancy, folic acid can prevent up to 70% of some serious birth defects of the brain and spine. These are called neural tube defects. People who are pregnant or might become pregnant take folic acid to prevent serious birth defects. Birth defects include spina bifida. Depression, stroke, and decline in memory and thinking skills also benefit from taking folic acid.
Pregnancy and Folic Acid
The CDC and the U.S. Public Health Service recommend that all women between the ages of 15 and 45 consume 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily. This helps prevent two types of neural tube defects, spina bifida and anencephaly. Since these birth defects develop within the first few weeks of pregnancy, it is important to have enough folic acid in your body BEFORE becoming pregnant. And once pregnant, it is important to continue getting enough folic acid during early pregnancy. Women need folic acid even if they are not planning to become pregnant. This is because almost half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned.
Eat a Diet Rich in Folate
In addition to getting 400 mcg of folic acid from supplements and fortified foods, it is important to eat a diet rich in folate. Folate is a form of the B vitamin folic acid. Leafy, dark green vegetables, citrus fruits and juices, and beans contain folate in food form.
Hispanic babies are more likely than others in the U.S. to be born with a neural tube defect. The CDC reports that Latinas in the U.S. consume less folic acid and have less knowledge about folic acid than non-Hispanic women.
Other Ways to Consume Folic Acid
Since 1998, folic acid has been added to cold cereals, flour, breads, pasta, bakery items, cookies, and crackers, as required by federal law. Foods that are naturally high in folate include leafy vegetables, okra, asparagus, certain fruits, beans, yeast, mushrooms, animal liver and kidney, orange juice, and tomato juice. Folic acid is also available as a supplement, and is often used in combination with other B vitamins.
Folic acid is used for preventing and treating low blood levels of folate (folate deficiency) and high blood levels of homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia). If your homocysteine level is too high, you may not be getting enough B vitamins. Most people who have a high homocysteine level don’t get enough folate (also called folic acid), vitamin B6, or vitamin B12 in their diet. Replacing these vitamins often helps return the homocysteine level to normal.
Personalized Cause® and Folic Acid Awareness Week
To raise awareness of the need for folic acid, wear an enamel awareness pin in the color green. Personalized Cause® also offers green fabric ribbons and green wristbands. All products are available in a personalized and non-personalized version.
(Content: nbdpn.org, Image: livingwell.borgess.com)