Good Food Sources of Folate
by Karen Schroeder Kassel, MS, RD, MEd
Here's Why Folate Is Good for You
Folate, also known as folic acid, is a B vitamin that is essential for good health.
Folic acid plays an extremely important role in preventing birth defects. Low blood levels of folate during pregnancy can cause neural tube defects—anencephaly and
spina bifida. Because these defects occur in the first month of pregnancy, before a woman knows she is pregnant, it is important for any woman of childbearing age to get 400 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid daily. Taking folate during pregancy may offer additional benefits, like reducing a child's risk of having severe language delays. Pairing folate with iron may reduce the number of infants born with low birth weight and reduce infant mortality.
Folate deficiency can also result in megaloblastic anemia. This is due to the role that folic acid plays in the DNA synthesis and red blood cell division. Without folic acid new red blood cells can’t divide and thus stay large and immature.
Recommended Intake
| Age group (in years) | Recommended Dietary Allowance | |
|---|---|---|
| Females | Males | |
| 1 - 3 | 150 mcg | 150 mcg |
| 4 - 8 | 200 mcg | 200 mcg |
| 9 - 13 | 300 mcg | 300 mcg |
| 14 - 18 | 400 mcg | 400 mcg |
| Pregnancy, ages 14-18 | 600 mcg | n/a |
| Lactation, ages 14-18 | 500 mcg | n/a |
| 19+ | 400 mcg | 400 mcg |
| Pregnancy, ages 19+ | 600 mcg | n/a |
| Lactation, ages 19+ | 500 mcg | n/a |
Here's How You Can Get Folate
Major Food Sources
Foods with the high amounts of folate include:
- Fortified breakfast cereal
- Beef liver
- Lentils
- Spinach
- Egg noodles
- Great Northern beans
- Asparagus
- Macaroni
- Rice
- Avocado
- Papaya
- Corn
- Broccoli
Tips For Increasing Your Folate Intake
To help increase your intake of folate:
- Spread a little avocado on your sandwich in place of mayonnaise.
- Drink a glass of orange juice or tomato juice in the morning.
- Add spinach to your scrambled eggs.
- Slice a banana on top of your breakfast cereal.
- Sprinkle some toasted wheat germ on top of pasta or a stir-fry.
- Throw some chickpeas or kidney beans into a salad.
- If you take a vitamin supplement, make sure it contains folate.
RESOURCES:
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.eatright.org
Food and Nutrition
United States Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca/
Food and Nutrition
Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/index-eng.php
REFERENCES:
Folate. Office of Dietary Supplements website. Available at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/. Accessed August 28, 2012.
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Folic acid. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/index.html. Updated March 10, 2011. Accessed on August 26, 2012.
Folic acid information. WIC Learning Center website. Available at: http://www.nal.usd.... Accessed on August 28, 2012.
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http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php: Christian P, Stewart CP, LeClerq SC, et al. Antenatal and postnatal iron supplementation and childhood mortality in rural Nepal: a prospective follow-up in a randomized, controlled community trial. Am J Epidemiol. 2009;170:1127-1136.
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Last reviewed August 2012 by Brian Randall, MD
Last Updated: 8/26/2012