Do you want to conceive a baby soon? Are you wondering if you need to prepare before becoming pregnant? Have you stopped using contraceptives and you might become pregnant at any moment? This is an article for you!
In this article:
- Folic Acid Effects
- Folic Acid Sources (Folates) (in french)
- Folic Acid Dosages
You may become pregnant without having planned it, and that’s why the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (May 2015) recommends that all women in their childbearing years take multivitamins with folic acid. If you become pregnant, the protective effects of folic acid and other vitamins for the developing embryo will already be active at the start of pregnancy.
Folic Acid Effects
Research has shown that taking folic acid orally during the pre-conception period significantly reduces problems associated with neural tube closure (formation of the spinal cord, for example, spina-bifida) and the combination with multivitamins also has a positive effect, preventing anomalies such as cleft palate, urinary tract, heart and limb malformations.
Folic acid is a complex B vitamin. It dissolves in water and is absorbed in the intestines and is eliminated in urine.
Did you know that since 1998, Health Canada has folic acid added to white flour, pasta and cornmeal to prevent neural tube problems in the general population? It seems to have diminished the occurrence of the problem. Studies have shown that it works, as, over the past several years, higher levels of folic acid in the blood have been noted in the general population, including women in their childbearing years.
To continue reading, go to Folic Acid Sources (Folates).
