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Summary
Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. Getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.
Foods with folic acid in them include
- Leafy green vegetables
- Fruits
- Dried beans, peas, and nuts
- Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products
If you don't get enough folic acid from the foods you eat, you can also take it as a dietary supplement.
NIH: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements
- Facts about Folic Acid (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
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Folate
(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
Also in Spanish
- Folic Acid (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
- Folic Acid Questions and Answers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Latest News
- Heart Birth Defects Dropped After Folic Acid Was Added to Food (08/29/2016, HealthDay)
Diagnosis and Tests
- Homocysteine Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Vitamin B12 and Folate Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Related Issues
- Folic Acid Supplements: Can They Slow Cognitive Decline? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: cerebral folate transport deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: hereditary folate malabsorption (National Library of Medicine)
Health Check Tools
- Folic Acid Quiz (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Videos and Tutorials
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Folic Acid
(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Statistics and Research
- Folic Acid for the Prevention of Infant Neural Tube Defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation (American College of Physicians) - PDF
- Folic Acid: Data and Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Folic Acid Deficiency (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
Patient Handouts
- Folate deficiency Also in Spanish
- Folate-deficiency anemia Also in Spanish
- Folic acid - test Also in Spanish
- Folic acid in diet Also in Spanish
