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What is folic acid?
As a woman, you need folic acid every day, whether you’re
planning to get pregnant or not, for the healthy new cells your body
makes daily. Think about your skin, hair, and nails. These—and other
parts of your body—make new cells each day.
You might think that you can get all the folic acid and other
vitamins you need from the food you eat each day. But it is hard to eat
a diet that has all the nutrients you need every day. Even with careful
planning, you might not get all the vitamins you need from your diet
alone. That’s why it’s important to take a vitamin with folic acid every
day.
Today’s woman is busy! You know that you should exercise, eat right, and
get enough sleep. You might wonder how you can fit another thing into
your day. But it only takes a few seconds to take a vitamin to get all
the folic acid you need!
Make it easy to remember. Try taking a vitamin when you brush your
teeth. Or take it with your breakfast, after your shower, or when
you brush your hair. Seeing the vitamin bottle on the bathroom or
kitchen counter can help you remember it, too. If you have children,
take your vitamin when they take theirs. That sets a good example!
You can get your vitamin with folic acid in one of several ways. You can
take a multivitamin or a small, single supplement of folic acid. These
days, multivitamins with folic acid come in chewable chocolate or fruit
flavors, liquids, and large oval or smaller round pills. Many stores
offer a single folic acid supplement for just pennies a day. Another
good choice is a store brand multivitamin, which includes most of the
vitamins you need each day. Unless your doctor suggests a special type,
you do not need to choose among vitamins for women or active people, or
even to go with a low carbohydrate diet. A basic multivitamin meets the
needs of most women.
A single serving of many breakfast cereals
also has the amount of folic acid that you need each day. Check the
label! Look for cereals that have 100% daily value (DV) of folic acid in
a serving.
Think back to when you were a child and you took your vitamin—how easy
it was to chew up that fruit-flavored tablet in the fun shape of your
favorite cartoon character. You may have been told: “Take your vitamin.
It’s good for you.” Today, taking a vitamin with folic acid is just as
easy—and just as good for you!
Date:
January 28, 2008
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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