Folic Acid

[lorrie]

I was curious if anyone could tell me if folic acid is sold as a supplement by itself. I haven't seen it anywhere. We are planning to try to conceive next year and prior to that I will get prenatal vitamins from my Dr. but before that I would like to have more folic acid since I've heard so much about it's benefits, especially in preventing birth defects. I'm 36 and I know certain risks also increase with age. Currently I take a multi vitamin, calcium and C. I also eat a lot of vegetables, I know broccoli is a good source of folic acid. Any suggestions for supplements or foods with more folic acid? Thanks for any input!

 

[ebh87]

foods that are supplemented

I believe that most cereals are supplemented with folic acid. Also, I think that orange juice and breads might be also.
Sorry I couldn't be more help!
Good luck!
Erica

 

[lorrie]

RE: foods that are supplemented

Thanks for the info Erica. I keep hoping someone will tell me that chocolate is a good source :9!!!

 

[lmn2]

Hi Lorrie,
I felt the same way about folic acid a little over a year ago when I was planning to get pregnant. In addition to the prenatal vitamins, I took a folic acid supplement (I think it was 400mg) for about four months before we conceived. I purchased the folic acid at my local CVS drugstore. I am surprised that you have not had any luck finding it yet. If you continue to have difficulty, I am sure you could locate it at one of the online vitamin stores.

Good luck,
Laura


P.S. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy in May!

 

[lorrie]

Thanks for the info, Laura and congrats on your baby boy!!!
I don't have a CVS here (Florida) but Eckerd and Walgreens didn't carry the folic acid. There's a small, independent, family-owned pharmacy near my house and I'm going to ask the pharmacist about ordering it, they're pretty good about customer requests. Otherwise, I will just order it online like you suggested. It's so much easier to take a supplement than research foods! Plus with a supplement you always know the exact amount you're getting. Take Care!

 

[michele1967]

Hi, Lorrie:
Most stores should carry folic acid. You're looking for 400 micrograms (mcg/ug). You should be able to find the same amount in a standard multivitamin, which should suffice, especially if you're eating oranges/orange juice, green leafy vegetables, or eating fortified breads/cereals (most cereals are fortified these days).Folic acid is one of the more important vitamins and can definitely help to prevent some very serious/life-threatening birth defects.
Good luck!