Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Folic acid good habit for health

By Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 25, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size  

More Health & Fitness

More stories »

Question: My friend told me I should take folic acid now that I'm pregnant. Is she right?

Answer: Folic acid does a baby good, and it's a good idea to get enough of it - even if you're not pregnant.

Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin that occurs naturally in leafy-green vegetables, certain fruits, dried beans and peas. It can cut in half the chances of serious brain and spine birth defects, according to the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Prevention Research Team.

Many of these defects happen in the first trimester, so it makes sense to get plenty of folic acid even if you're not pregnant. But statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control show that only one in three women 18 to 24 take a daily folic acid supplement.

It's particularly important for Hispanic women, whose babies are up to three times more likely to have a neural tube defect such as spina bifida.

Dietary recommendations say that everyone over 14 should get at least 400 mcgs a day, 600 mcg for pregnant women and 500 mcg for nursing moms. The Society for Women's Health Research offers these tips for getting enough folic acid from Heather Hamner, a nutritional epidemiologist for the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects:

* Include folic acid-fortified foods in your diet, such as breads, pastas and breakfast cereals.

* Try some new recipes that include folate-rich foods such as orange juice, beans and dark leafy green vegetables like spinach.

* Make taking a supplement containing folic acid a habit.

Ryckmanl@RockyMountain News.com

Here's a salad that's rich in folates and taste.

Orangey Spinach Salad

Serves 6

6 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 green onions, minced

3 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

4 oranges

1 1/2 6-ounce packages baby spinach

2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

* For dressing: Whisk first seven ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

* Cut peel from oranges, then cut between membranes to release segments.

* Combine spinach, half of almonds and all orange segments in large bowl with enough dressing to coat.

* Divide among 6 plates.

* Sprinkle with almonds.

Nutritional information per serving: 264 cal., 21 g fat (2 g sat), 0 mg chol., 18 g carb., 3 g pro., 2 g fiber, 3 mg sodium.