folic acid

folic acid and pregnancy

What foods should you eat? How much do you need? Should you take a vitamin supplement? How can you tell if a product contains extra folic acid?

Whether you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, we’d like to give you the facts about folic acid.

After all, you have a right to know.

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is one of the group of B vitamins. It is found in vitamin supplements, in foods with added vitamins such as breakfast cereals and bread, and naturall,y in the form of folate, in foods such as sprouts, cabbage, and beans.

Why is folic acid important?

It has been shown that increasing Folic Acid intake before and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy can greatly reduce the chances of a baby being born with spina bifida or a similar neural tube defect.

During some, if not all, of the first 12 weeks of pregnancy you may not realise you are pregnant, especially if it was not planned. So why wait...?

What all women need to do... now!

• All women who may become pregnant should increase their intake of folic acids by altering their diets to include more foods which are good sources of folic acid
• Choose more breads and breakfast cereals which have added folic acid. Look out for the symbols below on the food labels, including The Co-operative own brand breakfast cereals and soft grain bread
• Eat more foods which are naturally rich in folic acid:
  Green Vegetables (Brussels sprouts, spinach, spring greens, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, peas, lettuce and cabbage).
  Pulses (black eye beans, soya beans, chick peas and baked beans).
  Others (yeast extract, kidney, bread, potatoes, oranges/orange juice, yoghurt, eggs, brown rice, wholemeal pasta)
• If you take vitamin tablets, make sure you take one that contains folic acid
• Choose fresh looking vegetables and cook them carefully. Folic acid is destroyed by heat. Boil for a short time only – for this reason it is better to  steam, stir-fry or microwave your vegetables
  

What should you do if you are planning pregnancy?

From the time that you stop using contraception you should, in addition to the action points above, take a daily 400 microgram folic acid supplement.

Is the folic acid supplement necessary?

If you are less than 12 weeks pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you should take a 400g folic acid supplement every day. This is because it's difficult to get enough folic acid from your diet alone.

Most adults naturally consume 200g of folic acid each day through, but pregnant women need an extra 400g every day, making a daily total of 600g.

The best way to ensure adequate amounts is to take a supplement that contains just folic acid (400g). You shouldn't normally need to take other vitamins or multi-vitamins, unless advised to do so by your doctor. In particular it's important to avoid supplements that contain vitamin A, as too much of this vitamin can be harmful to an unborn baby.

This is why pregnant women are advised to avoid liver/liver products, because these are rich in vitamin A. Folic acid supplements can be bought from chemists, pharmacies and supermarkets, and are also available from your doctor on prescription.

Your right to know
Labels on foods or supplements containing folic acid often do not carry information about the link between folic acid and spina bifida. This is because many see it as a medical claim, and therefore against the law which governs food labels.

However, the Co-operative believes that you have the right to know this information. So you’ll find it on our packs of breakfast cereals and bread which contain added folic acid.

Advice for women
If you are, or may become, pregnant it is recommended that you increase the amount of Folic Acid in your diet – to reduce the risks of spina bifida and similar neural tube defects.
The normal recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Folic Acid is 200 micrograms. Prior to pregnancy, and during the first 3 months of pregnancy, you are advised to increase this 600 micrograms per day.

The Co-operative Corn Flakes can help by providing 33% of the normal RDA or 11% of the increased RDA of Folic Acid in an average serving of 40g.

For further information contact Customer Relations here.