Healthy diet with rich vitamins and minerals give us healthy life. Whether you are pregnant or are planning to have a baby, you must take immense care of your diet and eat food items that are rich in all vital nurtients.
During pregnancy, women need many essential vitamin and supplements in her diet in which one of the most essential nutrients is folic acid or folate. You are prescribed folic acid dose from day one of your pregnancy.
Why You Need Folic Acid?
Folic acid is very helpful for pregnant women as it prevents many birth defects in the new born like neural tube, cleft lip and palate. Folic acid or folate is a form of vitamin B known as Vitamin B9. Our body needs vitamin B for producing red blood cells and other chemical compound of our nervous system, i.e. norepinephrine and serotonin. Folic acid helps in making DNA that controls function of the brain.
The regular diet that you take during pregnancy doesn't provide you with the needed amount of folic acid, therefore you need to have addded dosages of folic acid. If you are planning for a baby you need to take sufficient amount of folic acid in your diet. During first trimester of pregnancy, you need 400 micrograms folic acid daily. You must take folic acid for first trimester and continue it throughout your pregnancy period.
Healthy Sources of Folic Acid or Folate
You can plan your diet to get sufficient amount of folic acid in your meal. Let us here find out what are the rich sources of folic acid.
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Folic Acid from Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables are rich source of folic acid. Peas, corn, cauliflower, green pepper, beet-root, ladyfinger also contain adequate amount of folic acid. A large cup of salad every day gives you enough folic acid.
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Folic Acid from Nuts: Cashewnuts, almond, peanut and walnut are the rich sources of folic acid.
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Folic Acid from Fruits: You can eat various combinations of fruits. Make fruit dish of banana, pineapple, oranges, strawberries, etc.
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Folic Acid from Grains: Add whole grain flour, bread, oats or pasta in your meal.
Other food items to be added in your diet
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Fruit juices such as orange, pineapple or any other fresh fruit that's safe to be eaten during pregnancy.
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Vegetable salad
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Beans like soya bean, kidney beans, dried peas, chickpeas
If you have deficiency of folic acid, you may find health problems such as anemia that causes fatigue and weakness. You can also find digestive disorder like diarrhea, weight loss, heart burns, headaches, and other health disorders. Lack of folic acid during pregnancy can even cause miscarriages.
You should take extra care while planning for pregnancy and include a daily dose of folic acid in your diet.