Folic acid is a B-vitamin. The recommended amount to prevent spina bifida and other neural tube defects is 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of synthetic folic acid daily. Convenient ways to make sure that you get enough folic acid: Take a vitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid every day. (Folic acid pills are small and easy to swallow). Both folic acid pills and multivitamins can be bought at grocery stores, pharmacies, or discount stores.

Folic acid has no known toxic level. If you were to eat a bowl of fully fortified cereal (400 micrograms), take a folic acid supplement (400 mcg), and eat fortified foods and foods rich in folate, women of reproductive age would not have a problem with too much folic acid. Even in very high amounts folic acid is non-toxic. Nevertheless, it is recommended that women consume no more than 1,000 micrograms of synthetic folic acid a day.

Even though there are several ways to get 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid every day, two thirds of women in the United States do not consume enough folic acid.

High levels of the amino acid homocysteine are independently associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. It has been shown that taking folic acid lowers homocysteine levels in both men and women, but it is not yet known whether folic acid supplementation also lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. There are some indications that folic acid use may also reduce the risk for other birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate and certain congenital heart defects.

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Folic acid and vitamin B12 help prevent the build-up in the body of homocysteine, a potentially toxic amino acid metabolite that damages arteries and increases the risk of heart disease. The biologically active forms of folic acid, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), and vitamin B12, methylcobalamin, are used in CardioThera? instead of common forms of these B-vitamins found in most other supplements.

Folic acid is naturally present in bread. However, more is found in wholemeal breads. Click here for more information about folic acid.

Health Canada recommends that women take a daily supplement of 0.4 mg of folic acid together with dietary sources of folic acid before conception and during the early weeks of pregnancy to decrease the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida.