Best Absorb Folic Acid

Folic acid is a water-soluble member of the B vitamin family, and getting enough of it is a key part of any healthy diet. Also known as pteroylglutamic acid, vitamin B9, folate (the form found naturally in foods), or folacin, it helps the body produce new cells. While folic acid is an essential part of any diet, it is especially important for women who may become pregnant, since adequate intake prevents major birth defects. With the right choices, absorbing enough folic acid is easy if you choose the right foods, and add a supplement if necessary or recommended by your physician.

Steps

Maximizing Absorption of Folic Acid

1. Investigate your risk factors for malabsorption. Some people are more prone to folic acid deficiency than others because of genetic causes, chronic illness, and use of certain medications. Talk to your physician if you have risk factors that may prevent you from absorbing enough folic acid.
   • Genetic mutations such as polymorphism (a genetic variance or flaw) can be a risk factor for folic acid deficiency. Known as a MTHFR mutation, your body may have trouble making an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase which is critical for the body’s processing of folic acid.
   • Chronic illnesses that affect absorption in the gastrointestinal tract may also cause folic acid deficiencies. If you suffer from Crohn’s or celiac disease, or are on dialysis, discuss strategies with your doctor to ensure you are ingesting enough folic acid.
   • A number of common medications may interfere with folic acid absorption, including anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and antacids. If you are being treated for a particular condition, do not take folic acid supplements without first discussing it with your physician.
2. Discuss adverse symptoms with your physician. Symptoms of anemia, a sign of folate deficiency, include weakness, lack of concentration, and lightness. Other symptoms may include diarrhea, numbness of the hands and feet, muscle weakness and depression.
3. Combine your vitamins. Take Vitamin B12 and folic acid together for best results. Folic acid supplements alone can mask anemia caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency.
   • Vitamin B12 and folic acid work synergistically to support heart and nerve health.
4. Take the multivitamin or supplement within 30 minutes of eating a meal. This ensures that your body will process and digest the supplement along with your food.
   • Stick to a schedule. Because daily intake is important for folic acid, take it at a convenient time when you will remember. If you have trouble, set an alarm on your phone or computer.
   • Avoid taking folic acid while drinking green tea. Some research suggests it decreases folic acid absorption.
5. Cut back on or eliminate alcohol. Alcohol can interfere in the body's ability to absorb folic acid and promotes excretion of folic acid into urine.
   • Alcoholics with folate deficiency are more at risk to develop liver injuries.
6. Choose raw or steamed fruits and vegetables. Folic acid is destroyed by air and heat and the amount present in the foods can decrease significantly if food is improperly stored, overcooked, or reheated.
   • Steaming is an excellent method for cooking vegetables since it preserves vitamins, including folate, better than boiling.
7. Drink a glass of orange juice. Orange juice or a Vitamin C supplement can aid in the body's absorption of nutrients including folic acid.

Aiming for Your Daily Requirement

1. Aim for 400 – 600 micrograms of folic acid daily. Diets of males and females over the age of the 13 years should include 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, while pregnant woman of all ages should aim for 600 micrograms each day. Adults should not take over 1000 micrograms a day from supplements or fortified food unless advised to by a physician.
   • Controlled trials indicate that proper folic acid intake protects against strokes and heart disease.
   • Although most people don’t notice side effects from folic acid, some may experience nausea, gas, bloating, trouble sleeping and other symptoms.
   • There is a possibility to overdose on folic acid. This can result in symptoms such as breathing difficulty, weakness, fatigue, or changes in urine color among other indications.
2. Eat plenty of foods high in folic acid. Folic acid that occurs naturally in foods is called folate. The best sources include asparagus, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes. Other good sources include eggs, cauliflower, and papaya.
   • The FDA requires that enriched breads, cereals, flours, pastas and other grain products have added folic acid. These are important contributors of folic acid intake to the American diet.
3. Take a multivitamin or a complex B-vitamin supplement daily. While a diet with folate-rich foods is important, most people cannot absorb the daily requirements for folic acid through food alone. Choose a vitamin or supplement that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. The body is able to absorb approximately 100 percent of folic acid taken in supplement form.
   • Because folic acid is water-soluble and is excreted in urine, it requires daily supplementation. The body cannot store folic acid.
   • Avoid eating too many heavily fortified foods while also taking a multivitamin. This can increase your risk for overdosing on folic acid.

Ensuring Absorption Before and During Pregnancy

1. Take folic acid before you plan to become pregnant. Adequate folic acid intake prevents neural tube defects (NTDs), which affect the spinal cord and brain. The neural tube is the part of the embryo from which the brain and spinal cord develop. Because NTDs happen within the first month of pregnancy, it is important to ensure that you are getting enough folic acid every day, before you even know you are pregnant.
   • Folic acid intake can also prevent other birth defects involving the heart, upper lip, and palate. It can also reduce a mother's risk for preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure disease that can threaten the life of the mother and baby.
   • Neural tube deficiencies adversely affect 3,000 pregnancies per year.
   • The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida, where the fetal spinal column does not close completely, and anencephaly, which results in incomplete development of the fetus’ head, skull, and scalp.
   • Taking folic acid can help reduce a baby’s risk of NTDs by up to 70%.
2. Take a prenatal multivitamin. Prenatal vitamins contain 600 micrograms of folic acid, and are a key source for the nutrients needed to prevent serious birth defects.
   • Prenatal vitamins contain more folic acid than standard adult multivitamins.
3. Discuss whether you need extra folic acid with your doctor. If you have had a pregnancy affected by a NTD in the past, are obese, or have diabetes, you may need extra folic acid during pregnancy.
   • Women who are overweight appear to be more likely to have babies with neural tube defects.
   • With no intervention, women who have previously had an NTD-affected pregnancy have a three to five percent chance of another NTD-complicated pregnancy.
   • If you've previously been pregnant with a baby with a neural tube defect, you'll probably be advised to take 4,000 mcg of folic acid a day.

Tips

• Vitamins are nutrients needed for normal growth and development that our bodies need in only small amounts each day.

Sources and Citations

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