What folic acid should I take when preparing for pregnancy?

Children are very important to every family. They are not only the fruit of love between husband and wife but also a bridge of emotional communication between husband and wife. In order to have a healthy baby, every family attaches great importance to preparing for pregnancy. Many of us know that taking some folic acid during preparation for pregnancy and the first three months of pregnancy can effectively prevent congenital neural tube defects. There are many types of folic acid. Let us learn about what kind of folic acid to take when preparing for pregnancy.

What folic acid to take for pregnancy

1. Natural folic acid

Folic acid is naturally present in animal and plant foods, especially in yeast, liver and green leafy vegetables.

2. Synthetic folic acid

There are many foods that contain folic acid, but because natural folic acid is extremely unstable and easily oxidized by sunlight and heat, the human body can actually obtain very little folic acid from food. The bioavailability of folic acid is low, at around 45%. Synthetic folic acid can remain stable for months or years, is easily absorbed and has high utilization by the human body, about twice that of natural products.

There are currently two folic acid formulations on the market, one containing 5 mg per tablet and the other containing 0.4 mg per tablet. Pregnant women should take a small dose, one tablet a day is enough. Excessive intake of folic acid not only fails to prevent fetal malformations, but may also mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, interfere with zinc metabolism, and cause adverse consequences such as zinc deficiency or nerve damage in pregnant women. If you do not conceive after taking folic acid for three months, you should continue to take folic acid supplements until three months after pregnancy.

3. What are the side effects of folic acid?

1. Taking folic acid tablets can mask the early symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency and cause damage to the nervous system;

2. Taking 350mg of folic acid tablets may affect the absorption of zinc, leading to zinc deficiency, slowing fetal growth and increasing the number of low birth weight babies;

3. Taking folic acid tablets can interfere with the effects of anticonvulsant drugs and induce convulsions in patients;

4. Some patients may experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia, nausea, and abdominal distension after taking folic acid for a long time.

5. When taking large amounts of folic acid, yellow urine may appear.

Precautions for taking folic acid

Folic acid should not be taken together with vitamin C

Folic acid is easily destroyed in an acidic environment and is relatively stable in alkaline and neutral environments; while vitamin C and vitamins B2 and B6 are relatively stable in an acidic environment. If you take vitamin C, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6 while supplementing folic acid, the absorption rate will be affected because their stable environments conflict with each other. In view of this, it is best to take the two drugs at least half an hour apart.

Pregnancy is a relatively natural thing. With the continuous improvement of living standards, the environment has been polluted to varying degrees. In order to have a healthy baby, everyone has begun to make adequate preparations during the pregnancy preparation period. By understanding what folic acid to take during pregnancy preparation, we should start taking folic acid during the pregnancy preparation period, and try to choose natural folic acid.