Women who are planning a pregnancy need to take extra folic acid for at least one month before pregnancy, and for the first three months of the pregnancy.
How to get more folate
The easiest and most effective way to raise folate levels is by taking a folic acid tablet containing 0.5 milligrams (mg) of folic acid every day.
- Folic acid is very safe.
- Folic acid tablets are available from chemists, health food shops and supermarkets.
- You do not need a prescription to buy them and they are not expensive.
- Multivitamin tablets often contain folic acid, but not as much as is needed.
Some women need to take more folic acid than the usual recommended amount if they have:
- Previously had a baby with a neural tube defect
- A close relative who has had a neural tube defect
- Spina bifida
- Are on some types of medication
Check with your doctor who will advise you on the amount to take.
Each year there are about 20 babies in South Australia with spina bifida. By taking folate (folic acid) you can reduce the chance of having a baby with a neural tube defect by up to 70 per cent.
Folate in food
Folate occurs naturally in many foods, but it is very difficult to get all of the folate you need to prevent neural tube defects through your diet.
The foods that have the most folate include:
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Bran flakes
- Brussels sprouts
- Cooked dried chick peas
- Cooked dried soy beans
- Endive lettuce
- Spinach
- Vegemite
You will also find that many types of bread, breakfast cereals and other packaged foods contain added folate. These are called folate-fortified foods.
Heating can destroy folate. If you are cooking any folate-rich vegetables it is best to microwave, stir-fry or steam them. Do not use any bicarbonate of soda when you are cooking folate-rich foods such as dried chickpeas or soybeans.
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