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Folic Acid
Home > Excite > Lesson 6: Folic
Acid Information |
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Excite Education Curriculum Module:
Folic Acid
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Lesson 6: Folic Acid Information
Estimated Time: 40 minutes
Folic acid is a B-vitamin the body needs for healthy cells and healthy blood.
Studies show that 50% to 70% of neural tube birth defects (NTDs) can be prevented if women
take folic acid before and during pregnancy.
Many times, folic acid is referred to as folate. Is there a difference between
folate
and folic acid? The answer is yes, there is a difference. Both are
forms of the same B-vitamin, but they come from different sources.
Folate is found naturally in foods such as dark-green leafy vegetables
(spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, and romaine lettuce), broccoli, asparagus,
beans, peanuts, strawberries, kiwi, liver, orange juice, and other food items. On
average, women in the United States get about 200 micrograms of folate from food each day.
Folic acid is man-made. It is the form of the vitamin that is added to
breakfast cereals, enriched grain and cereal products (bread, rice, pasta), and in most
multivitamin pills.
Cereals that have
of folic acid per serving include: Whole Grain
Total®,
Total Corn Flakes®, Total Raisin Bran®, Smart Start®, Multi-Grain Cheerios
Plus®, Just Right
with Crunchy Nuggets®, and Product 19®. Many cereals have 100 micrograms or 25% of
the folic acid needed each day to prevent birth defects. To find out how much folic
acid is in foods you buy, look at the "Nutrition Facts" label on the package.
Activities
Make a collage of pictures of good sources of folic acid or
folate.
Look in cabinets at
home to find 10 food items that are enriched with folic acid. Make a
list and bring it to
class.
Create a plan for 1 day's meals that includes 400 micrograms of
folic acid (without eating a cereal with 400 mcg of folic acid per serving).
To
find the amount of folic acid in foods go to the U. S. Department of
Agriculture site at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.
Group Discussion Which do you think would be easier for the body to
absorb and use, folate or folic acid? Why?
It might surprise you that folic acid added to foods and vitamins pills is easier for
the body to use than the folate naturally in foods. Cooking the food, as well as
exposure to light and air, can destroy the folate in foods. Since it is hard to get
enough folate from foods, in 1998 the Institute of Medicine (a group of health and
nutrition experts) announced that women who could get pregnant should take 400 micrograms
of folic acid every day. People should take folic acid (in enriched foods
or supplements) and have a healthy, varied diet.
Enriching the food supply
To enrich or fortify a product means to add vitamins or minerals to it. In the
U. S., iodine is added to some salt. Extra vitamins and iron are added to grain
and cereal products to keep us healthy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is
the government agency that makes the rules to protect the safety of the foods we eat and
the drugs we can take. In January 1998, a law went into effect to add folic
acid to grain and cereal products, and the FDA makes sure this happens. Some of the
foods that now have extra folic acid include pasta, bread, flour, breakfast cereals, and
rice. Still, most females ages 13-45 years do not get enough folic acid every day.
To get enough folic acid through enriched foods every day you would need to eat a whole
loaf of bread; or four servings of most cereals; or 3.5 servings of pasta; or 10
servings of rice. Still most women and teens will need to plan their meals to get
enough folic acid every day from enriched foods.
Small
Group
Activity
Teachers, print off the
blank form and create a transparency or use a
chalk board to fill in the blanks.
Imagine that you and all the students in the class are members of the National Council
for Nutrition and Health. You are meeting to make sure that all women who could get
pregnant receive 400 micrograms of folic acid or folate every day. There are three
main options that could be tried.
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One option is to enrich (fortify) food. To enrich food means to add small amounts
of the vitamin to food products--sometimes salt and flour are enriched.
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A second option is to urge women to consume vitamin pills that contain the recommended
amount.
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The third option is to try to change the eating habits of women so that they will eat
more foods with folic acid and folate.
Complete the chart and discuss the pros and cons of each of the three
options. Example discussion topics are provided below. Discuss which options would be
better accepted, and if there are costs involved, or education and behavior change
needed. Remember, if all women who could get pregnant consume 400 micrograms of
folic acid every day, 50%-70% of neural tube defects could be prevented.
Option |
Pros |
Cons |
Enrich foods with folic acid
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Everyone gets the vitamin. |
People get the vitamin even if they don't need it or
don't want it. |
It's easier
because people don't
need to change any of their habits to get the vitamin. |
Convincing the U. S. Food and Drug
Administration to change rules takes time, energy, and good scientific
studies. |
Folic acid in enriched foods is
better used by the body than food folate. |
Some scientists are concerned that a few
people may be harmed by getting "too much"
folic acid? |
Urge all women to take vitamin pills or eat 100%
fortified cereals
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Just the people who need the
vitamin could take it. |
Some women don't like to take vitamin pills. |
Folic acid is better used by the
body than food folate. |
Educational campaign would be needed so more women would take
these pills. |
Folic acid pills cost
less than a penny a
day. |
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Try to have all women improve their eating habits
and eat more foods rich in folate
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Women will be healthier. |
Changing eating habits is hard. |
Women would learn about the need
for folic acid to prevent birth defects. |
It costs a lot of money to teach people to change habits. |
Folate rich foods are healthy
foods. |
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The student may have other ideas about the advantages and disadvantages of the
three options. If they ask, folic acid is not likely to cause an allergic reaction,
is not addictive, and is not toxic. Extra folic acid leaves the body through urine.
It is important for women to take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before
pregnancy because:
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In the U. S., half of women who get pregnant did not expect to get pregnant.
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NTDs occur during the first month of pregnancy when most women don't know they're
pregnant. That is the most important time to prevent serious birth defects.
Because the fortification levels are not high enough for all women to get enough folic
acid from foods, many groups in the U. S. are teaching women to take vitamin pills with
folic acid, and to eat a balanced diet with enriched foods every day. The CDC, March
of Dimes, and Spina Bifida Association have developed materials to educate women about
folic acid. You may be able to view some of the public service
announcements (PSAs)
on TV, or get a copy from a local March of Dimes office.
Group Discussion
If
you are able to find one of these PSAs, discuss it in class.
What is the main idea of the PSA?
Who is this message meant for?
Is this believable?
What did you like about the message?
What new facts did you learn?
Where would you like to see this played?
You can order posters and brochures from the CDC at:
http://www2.cdc.gov/ncbddd/faorder/orderform.htm
or call 1-888-232-5929
In the U. S., two thirds of women who could get pregnant do not
get enough folic acid everyday. Also, only 7% of women know that folic acid is
needed before pregnancy. Because most women do not get enough folic
acid through foods, they should take a vitamin pill with folic acid or eat foods enriched
with folic acid, as well as eating fruits and vegetables with high amounts of
folate.
Researchers are looking at other advantages of folic acid besides preventing birth
defects. Some researchers believe that folic acid may help prevent some heart attacks,
strokes, Alzheimers disease, and some cancers later in life.
Individual
Activity
Write
down what YOU can do to help women take folic acid.
Small
Group
Activity
Design an educational poster,
song/tune/jingle, or commercial idea to tell women about folic acid.
Individual
Activity
Ask each of your students to write on an index card or piece of paper something they learned from the
"Title" Folic Acid module.
Link to: Going Beyond--Ideas to
Integrate
In some school districts, this information below may have to be approved before use.
For All Future Parents
Doctors and nurses are now educating men and women about how
important it is to be healthy before having a baby. Everyone who plans to be a
parent in the future should:
Avoid drugs, alcohol, and smoking
Eat a balanced diet, including lots of vegetables and fruits
Take a vitamin, including folic acid, everyday. There is also
evidence that folic acid may help prevent heart disease as well.
Get enough rest and exercise
Get regular medical check-ups |
Take Care of Your Eggs!
Many girls think about having a baby someday in the future. But did
you know that as a girl, you were born with all the eggs you'll ever have to make a baby?
Usually, one egg matures each month in preparation for a pregnancy. You may
have lots to do before you have a baby--school, travel, or a career. But it's
important to take care of your body and your eggs now for the baby you might want to have
in the future. Ways you can do this include:
Avoid drugs, alcohol, and smoking
Eat a balanced diet, including lots of vegetables and fruits
Take a vitamin, including folic acid, everyday
Get enough rest and exercise
Get regular medical check-ups |
Date: September 6, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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