Regardless of age or gender, everyone needs folic acid. If you are planning to become pregnant or are pregnant, however, taking folic acid is essential to your health and the future health of your baby. The appropriate dosage of folic acid will vary depending upon age, whether you are trying to conceive and stage of pregnancy.
Role of Folic Acid
Folic acid is a type of B vitamin that contributes to the healthy development and maintenance of cells in the body. Once you become pregnant, folic acid plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy pregnancy; it also helps your body recover after the pregnancy. Folic acid plays an even more important role during pregnancy because it helps to prevent birth defects. Specifically, taking folic acid helps to ensure the healthy development of the neural tube, which is the forerunner of the spinal cord of the baby.
When to Supplement
BabyCenter.com recommends consuming 400 micrograms of folic acid at least one month prior to conception to reduce the occurrence of birth defects. You can take a supplement or obtain the recommended amount from nutritional sources. For example, fortified breakfast cereals generally contain 100 percent of the daily recommended intake. In addition, beef liver, blackeyed peas and spinach also contain significant amounts of folic acid.
Requirements for Women
Once it is confirmed that you are pregnant, your physician may prescribe prenatal vitamins that contain significant amounts of folic acid. Work with your physician to monitor how much folic acid is in the vitamins in combination with that included in the foods you eat to stay within the recommended range. MarchofDimes.com recommends limiting your intake of folic acid to no more than 1,000 micrograms per day. A pregnant teen or women older than 19 should increase intake of folic acid to between 600 and 800 micrograms per day. Lactating women should consume at least 500 micrograms of folic acid each day.
General Recommendations
The National Institutes of Health recommends that children ages 1 to 3 consume 150 micrograms of folic acid. Boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 8 should increase their intake to 200 micrograms of folic acid per day. As your child ages, his intake of nutrients and vitamins must increase to meet the needs of his growing body. Boys and girls ages 9 to 13 should consume 300 micrograms of folic acid each day, states NIH. Teenage boys and girls ages 14 to 18 should increase their consumption of folic acid to 400 micrograms per day.
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