What is folic acid?
Folic acid is one of the B vitamins your body needs for good health. The vitamin is also called folate.
- Folate is the natural form of this vitamin. It's found in leafy green vegetables, oranges, nuts, and beans.
- Folic acid is the man-made form. It's put into vitamin pills and fortified foods, such as fortified breakfast cereals.
Getting enough of this vitamin prevents folate deficiency anemia. It also prevents certain birth defects.
Most people just say "folic acid" for either form of this vitamin.
How much folic acid do you need during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, you should get 0.4 mg (400 mcg) to 0.8 mg (800 mcg) of folic acid each day. This amount is found in most once-a-day multivitamins. If you need more, work with your doctor. Don't try to do it on your own by taking more multivitamins.
What is the recommended daily amount of folic acid?
Folic acid is measured in micrograms using Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE). Here are the daily recommended amounts of folic acid:
- Babies 0–6 months old need 65 mcg (micrograms) DFE each day.
- Babies 7–12 months old need 80 mcg DFE each day.
- Children 1–3 years old need 150 mcg DFE each day.
- Children 4-8 years old need 200 mcg DFE each day.
- Children 9–13 years old need 300 mcg DFE each day.
- Children over 13 years old need 400 mcg DFE each day.
- Men need 400 mcg DFE each day.
- Women's needs vary.
- Pregnant women need 600 mcg DFE each day.
- Breastfeeding women need 500 mcg DFE each day.
- Most other women need 400 mcg DFE each day.
What foods contain folic acid?
Folic acid is found in vitamin supplements and folic-acid-fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and breads. The natural form of folic acid is called folate. Foods high in folate include liver, citrus fruits, and dark greens like spinach. Read food labels to see how much folic acid or folate the food contains.
Folic acid and folate are measured in micrograms using Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE). Here is a list of some foods that contain folic acid or folate.
Food | Serving size | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fortified (with 25% of daily requirement) breakfast cereal | 1 cup | 100 mcg (micrograms) DFE or more |
| Spinach, cooked | ½ cup | 131 mcg DFE |
| Beef liver, cooked | 3 oz | 215 mcg DFE |
| Frozen peas, boiled | 1 cup | 47 mcg DFE |
| Asparagus, boiled | 4 spears | 89 mcg DFE |
| Enriched white rice, cooked | ½ cup | 90 mcg DFE |
| Frozen broccoli, cooked | ½ cup | 52 mcg DFE |
| Avocado, raw | ½ cup | 59 mcg DFE |
| Orange | 1 small | 29 mcg DFE |
| Bread, white | 1 slice | 43 mcg DFE |
| Crab, Dungeness | 3 oz | 36 mcg DFE |
Folic acid tips
- Breads, breakfast cereals, and pasta are often fortified with folic acid. Read labels for the folic acid amount.
- Eat vegetables raw or lightly steamed. Cooking may destroy some of the folate found in food.
- Multivitamins often contain folic acid.
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