Folic Acid

Folate is vitamin B9 as it occurs in food, such as leafy greens and beans. Folic acid is the stable form used in supplements and fortified foods; your body converts it to the active form it uses.

A baby's brain and spinal cord form in the first weeks of pregnancy, often before a pregnancy is known. Adequate folate in healthful diets, before and during early pregnancy, may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord birth defect, so US guidelines recommend 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid a day for anyone planning or able to become pregnant.

Folic acid is the form used in the studies behind US guidelines for the months before and early in pregnancy. Methylfolate also raises folate levels, but no study has shown that it lowers the risk of brain and spinal cord birth defects; folic acid is the only form that has been shown to.

400 to 800 mcg a day, starting at least a month before trying to conceive and continuing through the first 2 to 3 months of pregnancy. Once pregnant, the usual advice is a daily prenatal vitamin for the rest of the pregnancy; ask your obstetrician which one suits you. Anyone planning a pregnancy should check in with a health care provider. If you've had a pregnancy affected by a brain or spinal cord birth defect, ask your doctor first: a much higher dose is often recommended.

Check the label: look for the folic acid amount in parentheses after "Folate". If it shows 400 mcg or more of folic acid, you're covered and don't need a separate supplement. If it lists only methylfolate, ask your doctor whether to add folic acid, the form the guidelines are based on.

Yes. According to the CDC, people with an MTHFR variant can process all types of folate, including folic acid, and need the same daily amount as everyone else. The US guideline of 400 to 800 mcg a day applies to you too.