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The Benefits of Folates for Your Health

Getting Your Folates

For women of childbearing age, now is the time to take stock in your diet and lifestyle as a means to prevent birth defects. Nutrition plays a large role: the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, can be drastically decreased by supplementing your diet with B vitamins. Beginning at least one month before planned conception and continuing through the first trimester, moms-to-be should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. Good food sources of folates (the name for the family of folic acids found in food) are green vegetables, orange juice and beans. In addition, women planning families may want to increase their intake of vitamin B12. Food sources for vitamin B12 are meat, dairy, eggs and fish. It is always a good idea to quit smoking, reduce stress and exercise daily, but especially important when considering pregnancy!