You may have heard of folic acid or folate being used interchangeably. In fact they are slightly different, folate is found naturally in many foods such as spinach and kale, whereas folic acid is the man-made version often found in supplements.
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Both are particularly
important during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, and support healthy baby development.
12 Folate also supports cell division, red blood cell formation and brain health throughout life.
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Eating a healthy balanced diet should give most people the amount of folate they require. However, since it cannot be stored in the body for long you would have to eat these foods regularly which some people may struggle with. Most women need 200µg of folic acid daily, but if you’re considering becoming pregnant, you may want to increase it with a 400µg supplement.12
Women at a higher risk of folic acid deficiency may need more than this daily, as recommended by their GP.13