Folic acid (folate)

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Vitamin B9 benefits

Vitamin B9 source

Vitamin B9; Folate; Diet - folic acid; Pteroylglutamic acid

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from the food guide pyramid. Most people in the United States have an adequate dietary intake of folic acid because it is plentiful in the food supply.

There is good evidence that folic acid can help reduce the risk of certain birth defects (spina bifida and anencephaly). Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should take a multivitamin with folic acid every day. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid to help prevent these kinds of birth defects.

The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends the following:

Infants:

• 0-6 months: 65 micrograms/day (mcg/d)
• 7-12 months: 80 mcg/d

Children

• 1-3 years: 150 mcg/d
• 4-8 years: 200 mcg/d
• 9-13 years: 300 mcg/d

Adolescents and Adults

• Age 14 and older: 400 mcg/d
• Pregnant women: 600 mcg/d
• Breastfeeding women: 500 mcg/d

Review Date: 01/02/2007
Reviewed By: William McGee, M.D., M.H.A., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and Chairman, Nutrition Committee, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.