Foods rich in folic acid, such as the liver, beans and lentils, are well suited for pregnant women, as well as those who are trying to conceive because this vitamin is used to help the baby’s nervous system, preventing serious diseases such as anencephaly, spina bifida. and meningocele.
Folic acid, which is vitamin B9, is essential for everyone’s health and its deficiency can cause serious disorders in pregnant women and their babies. Thus, to avoid these disorders it is recommended to increase the consumption of foods containing folic acid and complete again 2 to 3 months before becoming pregnant to ensure the need at this stage of life. Learn more about: Folic acid during pregnancy.
The following table shows examples of certain foods rich in this vitamin:
There are still foods enriched with folic acid, such as oats, rice and wheat flour, which can be used in many different recipes. According to the WHO, every 100 g of the product should provide a minimum of 150 mcg of folic acid.
The recommended intake of folic acid for healthy adults is 400 mcg per day and for pregnant women 600 mcg per day.
Folic acid deficiency is linked to serious health problems such as hypertensive pregnancy syndrome, placental abruption, recurrent miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, chronic cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, dementia and depression.
However, supplementation and a healthy diet reduce these risks, increasing the chances of a healthy pregnancy and proper development of the baby, avoiding about 70% of cases of neural tube defects.
The folic acid test is rarely requested during pregnancy, but the reference values for folic acid in the blood range from 55 to 1,100 ng/mL, according to the laboratory.
When the values are below 55 ng/mL, the individual may have megaloblastic or hemolytic anemia, malnutrition, alcoholic hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, vitamin C deficiency, cancer, fever or, in the case of a woman, be pregnant.