Folic acid (vitamin B11) is a water-soluble vitamin.

Folic acid is needed for growth, proper body function, and the production of white and red blood cells.

It is also important for the early development of the unborn child.

When there is a deficiency of folic acid, anemia occurs.

In the unborn child, there is an increased risk of spina bifida, cleft lip, and cleft palate.

Women who want to become pregnant or are pregnant are advised to take 400 microgramss of folic acid daily until they are 10 weeks pregnant. This reduces the risk of spina bifida, cleft lip, and cleft palate in their child.

 

Content

• What is folic acid?
• Where is folic acid found?
• What do you need folic acid for?
• How much folic acid do you need per day?
• Extra folic acid during pregnancy
• What are the consequences of a folic acid deficiency?
• What are the consequences of too much folic acid?

What is folic acid?

Foliumzuur is a water-soluble vitamine. Folic acid is also known as vitamin B11 or folate.

In some countries, they call folic acid vitamin B9.

Different shapes

In food, folic acid naturally occurs in the form of tetrahydrofolate polyglutamate.

In supplements or when added to food products, the form pteroylmonoglutamic acid (PMG) is used.

Where is folic acid found?

Folic acid naturally occurs in vegetables (especially grone varieties), whole grain products and bread, meat, and dairy.

Enriched foods

In the Netherlands, folic acid may be added to food products, with a maximum of 100 micrograms per 100 kilocalories.

It is not necessary to use these products.

To prevent children from consuming too much folic acid, the Health Council allow enrichment only in a limited number of products.

What do you need folic acid for?

Folic acid has various functions in the body:

• Folic acid is necessary for the growth and proper functioning of the body.
• Folium acid plays a role in the production of white and red blood cells.
• Folic acid is important for the early development of the unborn child.
• Folic acid contributes to the formation of the nervous system, which is established from the first day after fertilization.
• Folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects such as neural tube defects (NTD) or spina bifida.
• Also, it is associated with a lower risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and possibly also a cleft lip and palate.

Unproven health effects

Some health effects attributed to folic acid have not been proven.

There has not been enough research done yet or the results are not conclusive.

It concerns cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, dementia, and depression.

How much folic acid do you need per day?

To stay healthy is the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of folic acid for adults 300 micrograms.

For pregnant women and children, these amounts are different.

Pregnant women: 400 micrograms (and an additional 400 micrograms via a supplement from the moment you want to become pregnant until 10 weeks of pregnancy)

Women who are breastfeeding: 400 microgram

Sources:

• Adults aged 18 and over: Health Council 2018
• Pregnant women: Health Council 2021
• Overige leeftijden en vrouwen die borstvoeding geven: Gezondheidsraad 2014

Extra folic acid during pregnancy

If you want to become pregnant, it is important to take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.

This is in addition to the amount you get from your food.

It does not matter how much folic acid you get through your diet.

You need to start about 4 weeks before the possible fertilization.

For many women, that is the moment they stop taking the contraceptive pill.

There are tablets available with 400 micrograms of folic acid.

In total, during the first period of your pregnancy, you should consume 400 micrograms of folic acid (folate) daily from your diet and 400 micrograms from a supplement.

From the tenth week of pregnancy, extra folic acid is no longer necessary.

If you only find out late that you are pregnant and therefore take folic acid longer than recommended, that is not a problem.

It is not harmful to you and your baby.

Even if it takes months or years for someone to become pregnant, it is advisable to continue taking folic acid according to the recommendation.

What are the consequences of a folic acid deficiency

A severe deficiency of folic acid can cause anemia, intestinal disorders, fatigue, and birth defects.

What are the consequences of too much folic acid?

There is no evidence that too much folic acid from the diet is harmful.

That is indeed the case for the folic acid (PMG) contained in tablets.

A high intake of PMG can make it more difficult to detect a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Acceptable upper limit

Because an excess of folic acid from supplements can cause a vitamin B12 deficiency to go undetected, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) een acceptable upper limit for folic acid determined from supplements.

Below you can see the acceptable upper limit of folic acid from supplements for different ages.

Acceptable upper limit of folic acid

18 years and older: 1,000 micrograms per day