Folacin

Alternative names:

deficiency - vitamin B9 (folacin); diet and folacin; folacin (vitamin B9) deficiency; folate; folic acid; pteroylglutamic acid; vitamin B9; vitamin B9 (folacin) deficiency

Recommendations:

Recommended daily allowances (RDAs) are defined as the levels of intake of essential nutrients that, on the basis of scientific knowledge, the Food and Nutrition Board judges to be adequate to meet the known nutrient needs of practically all healthy persons.

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from the food guide pyramid.

Most people in the United States get an adequate intake of folacin because it is plentiful in the food supply.

Pregnant women often require additional supplementation as prescribed by the health care provider. Adequate folacin is important to women in their childbearing years because it has been shown to prevent some kinds of birth defects, including neural tube defects. Women in this age group should make an effort to consume foods that are good sources of folacin. Recent studies published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggest that women who receive supplements of folacin BEFORE CONCEPTION may reduce the risk for neural tube defects by 50%. Women who plan to become pregnant may want to discuss taking a multivitamin with their health care provider.