Fortify Your Folate Levels Before Becoming Pregnant

Wanna-be moms would be wise to indulge in folate-rich foods to help guard against spina bifida and similar birth defects involving the spinal column.

"The critical period for spinal development is the first few weeks following conception, a time most women don't even know they are pregnant," says Dr. Debby Demory-Luce, a registered dietitian with the USDA's Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. That's why physicians advise women who are capable of conceiving to keep their folate levels up at all times.

Spina bifida is a condition in which part of one or more vertebrae fail to develop, leaving a portion of the spinal cord exposed. It is one of a group of spine-related birth defects, called neural tube defects, which affect nearly 4,000 pregnancies each year and can result in physical and mental disabilities. But, diets rich in folate could cut that number by 50 to 70 percent.

Although women can get enough of this vitamin through natural sources, most only consume about 230 micrograms each day. This is well below the recommended 400 micrograms. To help consumers meet their needs, the government has added folic acid, the man-made form of folate, to the list of vitamins used to fortify rice-, corn- and wheat-foods.

To be nutrient savvy, look for folate on the Nutrition Facts label of grain-based foods. Some fortified breakfast cereals provide all the folate most adults need in a single serving. But, while grain-based foods produced in the U.S. are required to be fortified, imported foods are not. Also, because too much folate can also cause problems, limit folic acid from supplements and fortified foods to 1,000 milligrams per day.

As a bonus, folic acid fortification might do more than safeguard developing infants. It might also help prevent cardiovascular disease.

---

©2006 Texas Medical Center

---

E-Mail: tmc-info@tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/07_01_99/page_04.html