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Healthy Baby Vitamin:
Folic Acid
By the end of this session you will:
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Understand the differences between Folic Acid and Folate
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Identify foods highest in Folic Acid
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Understand why Folic Acid is important
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Know the recommended amount for Folic Acid and how to consume the needed amount each day.
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Welcome to the Municipality of Anchorage WIC Program Website . If you (or your child) are a WIC participant, please enter your first and last name here:
First and Last Name
What is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is a vitamin! It is a nutrient that cannot be stored in our bodies, so we need it every day in order to be healthy. It is also called Folate.
Is there a difference between Folic Acid and Folate?
Yes and no. Folic acid and folate are both the same vitamin...a B vitamin. However they are found in different sources.
Folic Acid
When we artificially add this B vitamin to foods then it is called Folic Acid. This process of addition is called enriching or fortifying. Examples of food fortified with folic acid are breads and breakfast cereals. This is also the form found in your prenatal pills.
Folate
When this B vitamin occurs as a natural component of foods, then it is called Folate. Examples of foods that are naturally high in in folate include green leafy vegetables such as spinach or romaine lettuce.
Activity 1:
Folate is a form of which vitamin?
Why do I need Folic Acid?
...Many Reasons!
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Folic Acid helps your body make it's own blood cells. |
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Folic Acid can reduce your risk of heart disease and also certain kinds of cancer. |
...But most importantly!
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Pregnant women need folic acid for the growth and development of their baby's tissues and organs. |
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Folic Acid is necessary during this rapid period of cell and tissue growth. |
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When taken before conception, folic acid can significantly reduce the risk of having a baby born with neural tube defects...up to 70%! |
What are Neural Tube Defects?
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Neural tube defects are very dangerous malformations that occur to children very early in pregnancy...and are the leading cause of infant death. |
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The neural tube is the part of the body that later becomes the baby's Spinal Cord and Brain. |
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Without proper nutrients, like folic acid, the neural tube does not develop the way it should and as a result babies can be born with defects such as Spina Bifida and Anencephaly.
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Spina Bifida:
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Spina Bifida is a malformation of the lower end of the spinal cord. If occurs when the neural tube fails to close. As a result, the spinal cord and backbone do not form properly and paralysis of the infant's legs, loss of bowel and bladder control, and learning disabilities may occur. Most infants born with Spina Bifida survive and despite varying degrees of disability, can still live long, successful lives. |
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Anencephaly:
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Anencephaly is a much more fatal form of neural tube defect. This malformation occurs when the upper end of the spinal cord fails to close. In this situation, the brain is either partially developed or completely absent. Babies with anencephaly die before or shortly after birth. |
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These neural tube defects develop between 17 to 30 days after becoming pregnant...A time when most women don't know yet that they are pregnant!
Recommendations:
• This is why the United States Public Health Service recommends that:
"all women of child-bearing age consume 400 micrograms (ug) of Folic Acid daily."
• Folic acid is needed most during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Since many women are not aware of their pregnancy at this crucial time when folic acid is needed, the recommendation is given to all women of childbearing age--especially to those women planning on having a baby.
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How do I get the needed amount of Folic Acid every day?:
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Women may either take a multivitamin supplement that contains 100% of the recommended amount, eat foods high in Folate, or both! Chances are that you are taking a multivitamin, it is already high in folic acid. Check the label!!!
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Warning: It is not recommended to consume more than ten times this amount (or>4,000 ug). Such mega doses may cause adverse reactions and may block the absorption of other essential vitamins.
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Too much may be risky
An excess amount of folic acid could mask a vitamin B-12 deficiency, paving the way to crippling, irreversible nerve damage.
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How do I know which foods are high in Folic Acid?
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Actually, many foods provided through WIC are very good sources of folic acid. To be considered a "good source", or an "excellent source" of a particular vitamin or mineral, we look at the % Daily Value (% DV). These values are listed on the food label of all commercially sold foods except fresh produce, foods containing very few nutrients like coffee, tea or spices, and those products made by small businesses.
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The % DV is basically the percent of the recommended amount of a vitamin for a person needing a 2000-calorie diet. Since not all individuals need and burn the same amount of calories each day, this percent may not be the needed amount for you. However, the % DV is still a helpful guide to determining how much of a vitamin or mineral is contained in the food.
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Is it high or low? Generally, if a food provides 10% or more of the DV per serving, it is considered by definition a "good source" of the vitamin. If a food item provides 20% or more of the DV it is called an "excellent source" of that vitamin or mineral.
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How do WIC Food Measure up for Folic Acid?
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WIC Cereals
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Food:
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% Daily Value of Folic Acid
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Cherrios
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23%
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Corn Chex
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25%
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Rice Chex
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25%
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Kix
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23%
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Wheat Chex
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25%
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Wheaties
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23%
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Total Corn Flakes
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94%
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Total Wheat Flakes
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94%
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Special K
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21%
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Complete Bran Flakes
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25%
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Corn Flakes
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25%
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Life Cereal
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23%
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Malt-o-Meal
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0%
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Quaker Instant Oatmeal
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37%
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Cream of Wheat
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13%
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Activity 2:
• What does DV stand for?
• Name a WIC cereal that is an "excellent source" of Folic Acid.
• Which Neural Tube Defect is the result of a malfunction of the lower end of the spinal cord?
Spina Bifida
Anencephaly
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WIC Beans/Peanut Butter
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| Food: |
% Daily Value of folate |
| Pinto Beans |
36% |
| Lima Beans |
19% |
| Green Split Peas |
0% |
| Lentils |
45% |
| Black Beans |
32% |
| Kidney Beans |
16% |
| Navy Beans |
17% |
| Peanut Beans |
6% |
Notice that the majority of WIC cereals and most beans are high in folate or folic acid. This is also true for most leafy and dark green vegetables...they are high in folate!
Folic Acid Content in other WIC Foods:
| Milk |
Cheese |
Juice |
| Food |
% DV |
Food |
% DV |
Food |
% DV |
| Fat free |
3% |
Colby Jack |
0% |
Apple Juice |
0% |
| Low fat |
3% |
Monterey Jack |
0% |
OJ & Grapefruit |
6% |
| Reduced fat |
3% |
Swiss |
0% |
Pink Grapefruit |
1% |
| Whole |
3% |
Mild Cheddar |
0% |
Orange Juice |
20% |
| Lactaid |
3% |
Cheddar |
2% |
Grape Juice |
0% |
| Acidophilus |
3% |
Provolone |
1% |
White grape juice |
0% |
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String |
1% |
Pineapple Juice |
5% |
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Colby |
2% |
Tomato Juice |
9% |
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Cheddar cubes |
0% |
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American |
1% |
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Although milks, cheeses and dairy products are good sources of other necessary nutrients (like protein) and fruit juices are a good source of vitamin C, the majority are very low in folic acid content. One exception is orange juice. A serving of orange juice is high in folic acid (20% of the DV)
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Some other good/excellent sources:
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| Food: |
% Daily Value |
| *Spinach |
51% |
| Peanuts |
44% |
| Sunflower seeds |
41% |
| Avocado |
31% |
| *Asparagus |
21% |
| *Romaine lettuce |
19% |
| Canned corn |
10% |
*Remember dark green, leafy vegetables are high folate foods.
2. Answer: True or False
By now, you probably have a grasp on why folic acid is important before pregnancy, but is it important to keep eating folic acid afterwards?
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As stated before, taking folic acid helps to lower the risks of some types of cancers
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Cervical |
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Lung |
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Colon Cancers |
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Taking folic acid reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke. |
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And you never know what little surprises may come! It is important to keep taking folic acid if there is any chance that you may become pregnant. |
Activity 4:
1. After reading about all the reasons to take folic acid, which is most important to you and why?
2. Which foods/supplements do you eat now that are high in folate or folic acid?
3. After this lesson, are there any folate rich or high folic acid foods that you would consider incorporating more of into your diet? If so, which ones?
Which WIC Office do you go to?
Where are you taking today's lesson?
Answers:
| Activity 1: |
Folate is a form of the B vitamins. |
| Activity 2: |
-DV stands for Daily Value
-Excellent sources of Folic acid have more than 20% of the DV. Here are some examples: Cherrios, Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Kix, Wheat Chex, Wheaties, Total Corn Flakes, Special K, Complete Bran Flakes, Corn Flakes, Life Cereal, Quaker Instant Oatmeal.
-Spina Bifida is the Neural Tube Defect resulted from a malformation of the lower spinal cord. |
| Activity 3: |
1. The best sources of folic acid are: Total cereal, orange juice, spinach, and kidney beans.
2. False.
3. False. The first trimester is the most important time to take folic acid.
4. True.
5. True. Every woman of childbearing age should take 400 µg of folic acid daily. |
Back to WIC Lessons
Revised: 06-13-2008
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