Folic Acid

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Basics

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• Diagnosis and Tests

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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

Start Here

• About Folic Acid (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Folate (National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements) Also in Spanish
• Folate (Folic Acid) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Folic Acid (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Homocysteine Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Vitamin B Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Cerebral folate transport deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Hereditary folate malabsorption: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Folic Acid Deficiency (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Association of serum folate concentrations with cancer mortality among patients with...
• Article: Serum Folate Concentrations in Exclusively Breastfed Preterm Infants Who Received No...
• Article: Neurodevelopment of Autism: Critical Periods, Stress and Nutrition.
• Folic Acid -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• March of Dimes Foundation Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Folate deficiency (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Folate-deficiency anemia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Folic acid - test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Folic acid in diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish