Folic acid, or vitamin B-9, is a water-soluble vitamin available in food and supplement form. Orange juice and tomato juice contain folic acid. Women need folic acid during pregnancy but should ideally be taking folic acid prior to pregnancy, the American Pregnancy Association explains. Folic acid helps to prevent neural tube defects that may happen within the first 28 days of pregnancy in women if they have not been taking the recommended dose of folic acid.
Function
Your body uses folic acid together with vitamins B-12 and C to break down, use and synthesize protein, "The New York Times Health Guide" explains. Folic acid helps your body create red blood cells and synthesize DNA. Your body uses folic acid to grow tissue and keep cells functioning within normal parameters. Folic acid also protects the DNA of your cells from changes that can cause cancer, Drugs.com notes. Folic acid can be combined with other medications to treat pernicious anemia.
Dose
Women over the age of 18 should take about 400 mcg of folic acid daily, MayoClinic.com notes. Pregnant women should take 600 mcg of folic acid per day. Breastfeeding women need about 500 mcg of folic acid daily. The tolerable daily upper intake level for women between 14 to 18 years of age is 800 mcg of folic acid. Women who are 19 years old and older can take up to 1,000 mcg of folic acid daily without suffering adverse effects. These tolerable upper intake doses apply to both breastfeeding and pregnant women in these age groups.
Overdose Effects
Exceeding 1,000 mcg of folic acid daily can hide the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency, the American Pregnancy Association explains. Taking 15,000 mcg or more of folic acid daily can damage the central nervous system of developing babies. Other overdose symptoms include numbness or tingling of the mouth, pain in the tongue and exhaustion, Drugs.com notes. Folic acid overdose can also cause a general sense of confusion and difficulty concentrating. Nevertheless, excessively high levels of folic acid don't usually cause harm because your body routinely purges excess amounts when you urinate, "The New York Times Health Guide" notes.
Food Sources
Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and lettuce contain folic acid, MayoClinic.com explains. Cereals and bread also contain folic acid. Bananas, melons, citrus fruits, legumes and mushrooms have folic acid. You can also get folic acid from poultry, pork, shellfish and liver, "The New York Health Guide" notes.
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