Against folic acid deficiency: folic acid during pregnancy

Are you pregnant or planning to become pregnant soon? Then you probably already know how important folic acid is during pregnancy. But where is folic acid found and how do you ensure that there is no folic acid deficiency in your body?

Folic acid – the vitamin for growth

Folic acid is very important for blood formation, cell division and cell growth. Therefore, folic acid is needed above all when growth and development processes take place in the body, i.e. especially during pregnancy. Pregnant women need about 600 µg (micrograms) of folic acid per day.

Foods that contain folic acid

There is a lot of folic acid in green vegetables, whole grain products and legumes. However, even with careful food selection, pregnant women find it difficult to meet their folic acid requirements through food alone. Because the folic acid it contains is very sensitive. If the food is stored for too long, heated too much or cooked for too long, the folic acid migrates into the cooking water, for example. To ensure that the folic acid is retained, you should buy it fresh as much as possible, process it quickly and only cook it for a short time.

Folic acid content of selected foods

(The following information comes from the nutrient table of the German Society for Nutrition.)

Green vegetables
• Spinach: 145 micrograms in 100 grams
• Kale: 190 micrograms in 100 grams
• Lamb's lettuce: 145 micrograms in 100 grams
• Broccoli: 111 micrograms in 100 grams
• Brussels sprouts: 100 micrograms in 100 grams

cereals• wheat germ: 520 micrograms in 100 grams
• wheat bran: 195 micrograms in 100 grams
• Quinoa: 184 micrograms in 100 grams

Legumes
• Chickpeas: 340 micrograms in 100 grams
• Peas: 159 micrograms in 100 grams
• Soybeans: 250 micrograms in 100 grams
• White beans: 200 micrograms in 100 grams
• Lentils: 170 micrograms in 100 grams

Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should make sure they have an adequate supply of folic acid. If you consume too little folic acid during pregnancy, your baby can develop serious developmental disorders. The neural tube of the newborn can e.g. B. do not close (open back). Since this neural tube defect develops in the first three months, when many pregnant women are not even aware of it, women who plan to become pregnant should pay attention to their folic acid requirements and, if necessary, take additional folic acid tablets. Therefore, even before pregnancy, i.e. women who want to have children, gynecologists recommend starting an additional intake of folic acid preparations at least three months before conception. You don't have to worry about consuming too much folic acid because, like other water-soluble vitamins, folic acid is excreted in the urine. The recommended dose for an additional intake of folic acid before pregnancy is 400 µg per day.

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