Overview

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is one of the B vitamins your body needs for good health. The vitamin is also called folate or B9.

• Folate is the natural form of this vitamin. It's found in leafy green vegetables, oranges, nuts, and beans.
• Folic acid is the synthetic form. It's put into vitamin pills and fortified foods, such as fortified breakfast cereals.

Getting enough of this vitamin prevents folate deficiency anemia. It also prevents certain birth defects.

Most people just say "folic acid" for either form of this vitamin.

What is the recommended daily amount?

Folic acid is measured in micrograms using Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE). Here are the daily recommended amounts of folic acid:^{footnote 1}

• Babies 0–6 months old need 65 mcg (micrograms) DFE each day.
• Babies 7–12 months old need 80 mcg DFE each day.
• Children 1–3 years old need 150 mcg DFE each day.
• Children 4-8 years old need 200 mcg DFE each day.
• Children 9–13 years old need 300 mcg DFE each day.
• Children over 13 years old need 400 mcg DFE each day.
• Most adults need 400 mcg DFE each day.
  • Pregnant people need 600 mcg DFE each day.
  • Breastfeeding people need 500 mcg DFE each day.

How much do adults need?

Folic acid is measured in micrograms using Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE). The recommended amounts of folic acid are:^{footnote 1}

• 400 mcg DFE if you're not pregnant.
• 600 mcg DFE if you're pregnant.
• 500 mcg DFE if you're breastfeeding.

If you don't get enough folic acid before and during pregnancy, you're more likely to have a child born with a birth defect, such as:

Even if you eat a well balanced diet, you may not get the extra folic acid you need to prevent birth defects unless you also take a supplement. Some experts say that everyone who is able to get pregnant should take a daily supplement that has at least 400 mcg of folic acid.^{footnote 2}

Some people need even higher doses. People who have a higher risk for certain birth defects need higher doses of folic acid before, during, and after pregnancy. ^{footnote 2} Talk with your doctor or midwife about the amount that is right for you.

Follow your doctor's advice about how to get higher amounts of folic acid. Don't just take more multivitamins. You could get too much of the other substances that are in the multivitamin.

Folic acid recommendations for people who aren't planning to get pregnant

Even if you aren't planning to get pregnant, your doctor may recommend a daily supplement.

Many pregnancies aren't planned. And the birth defects that folic acid can prevent start to form in the first 6 weeks of pregnancy. This is often before you even know you're pregnant.

What foods contain folic acid?

Folic acid is found in vitamin supplements and folic-acid-fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and breads. The natural form of folic acid is called folate. Foods high in folate include liver, citrus fruits, and dark greens like spinach. Read food labels to see how much folic acid or folate the food contains.

Folic acid and folate are measured in micrograms using Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE). Here is a list of some foods that contain folic acid or folate.^{footnote 4}

Folic acid tips

• In Canada, breads, breakfast cereals, pasta, and flour must be fortified with folic acid.
• Multivitamins often contain folic acid.