Eating for Two: Part 3 – How Much Folate Do You Need?

How Much Folate Do You Need?

How Much Folate Do You Really Need?

While preventing neural tube defects is the most well-known benefit of folate, it's also super important anytime your body needs to make a fresh copy of DNA. Think about it: every new cell in a baby's rapidly developing body needs its own DNA blueprint. Folate is also key for cell division itself. It’s an essential ingredient as that single fertilized egg divides over and over, eventually becoming the trillions of cells present at birth. For instance, around six weeks into pregnancy, a baby's nervous system alone is creating about 100,000 new nerve cells every hour!

You can find folate naturally in a bunch of foods. Leafy green veggies, beans, peas, and fruits are fantastic sources for expectant mothers. Organ meats like liver and kidney also contain folate, though cooking can reduce its levels. It seems like women are naturally geared to consume more of these folate-rich foods during pregnancy, and folate is a big reason why. Plus, these foods might offer other nutrients we haven't fully understood yet. Maybe folate is even why cravings for fruits, juices, and sour foods are so common during pregnancy.

If you're a woman who could become pregnant, aim for at least 400 micrograms of folate daily. During pregnancy, this recommendation bumps up to at least 600 micrograms per day. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, the average American woman was getting around 250 micrograms a day from her diet, with those eating lots of fruits and veggies getting more. Then, in 1998, laws required that enriched cereal grains include folate. Nowadays, the typical American adult likely gets about 340 micrograms a day from food, reflecting a more modern dietary landscape.

Prenatal vitamins typically contain 1,000 micrograms (1 mg) of folate. This is like getting about 500 micrograms from food, meaning women taking these vitamins get plenty, with just a little dietary boost needed.