Folic Acid

Folic acid is a key B vitamin that can be sourced from leafy green vegetables such as, spinach, kale, chard, broccoli, corn, legumes, bean sprouts and wheat. This is such an important vitamin that is recommended to be taken especially by women who are pregnant or lactating, since deficiency of this vitamin has been linked to neurological birth defects.

Of course, regular women should ensure their adequate intake of folic acid or “folate”, too, since deficiency of this has been linked to colon cancer.

You and I may be taking all those leafy vegetables thinking that we are providing our bodies enough folic acid, but there is more to just taking them. Are we absorbing folate 100% in our bodies? I have read that foods may contain this vitamin, but it is not as readily absorbed compared to the ones derived from supplements.

The average intake of folic acid through food is 275-375 micrograms, but to reduce the risk of colon cancer, we need about 400 micrograms daily per Adult, which can be achieved through supplementation.

Recommended Dietary Allowances for Folate for Children and Adults

Age (years) Males and Females (μg/day) Pregnancy (μg/day) Lactation (μg/day)
1-3 150 N/A N/A
4-8 200 N/A N/A
9-13 300 N/A N/A
14-18 400 600 500
19+ 400 600 500

Selected Food Sources of Folate and Folic Acid

Food Micrograms (μg)% DV^
Breakfast cereals fortified with 100% of the DV, ¾ cup 400 100
Beef liver, cooked, braised, 3 ounces 185 45
Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature, cooked, boiled, ½ cup 105 25
Breakfast cereals, fortified with 25% of the DV, ¾ cup 100 25
Spinach, frozen, cooked, boiled, ½ cup 100 25
Great Northern beans, boiled, ½ cup 90 20
Asparagus, boiled, 4 spears 85 20
Rice, white, long-grain, parboiled, enriched, cooked, ½ cup 65 15
Vegetarian baked beans, canned, 1 cup 60 15
Spinach, raw, 1 cup 60 15
Green peas, frozen, boiled, ½ cup 50 15
Broccoli, chopped, frozen, cooked, ½ cup 50 15
Egg noodles, cooked, enriched>/td>, ½ cup 50 15
Broccoli, raw, 2 spears (each 5 inches long) 45 10
Avocado, raw, all varieties, sliced, ½ cup sliced 45 10
Peanuts, all types, dry roasted, 1 ounce 40 10
Lettuce, Romaine, shredded, ½ cup 40 10
Wheat germ, crude, 2 Tablespoons 40 10
Tomato Juice, canned, 6 ounces 35 10
Orange juice, chilled, includes concentrate, ¾ cup 35 10
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, ½ cup 30 8
Orange, all commercial varieties, fresh, 1 small 30 8
Bread, white, 1 slice 25 6
hole wheat, 1 Slice 25 6
Egg, whole, raw, fresh, 1 large 25 6
Cantaloupe, raw, ¼ medium 25 6
Papaya, raw, ½ cup cubes 25 6
Banana, raw, 1 medium 20 6

^ DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help consumers determine if a food contains a lot or a little of a specific nutrient.

The DV for folate is 400 micrograms (μg). The percent DV (%DV) listed on the table indicates the percentage of the DV provided in one serving.

A food providing 5% of the DV or less is a low source while a food that provides 10-19% of the DV is a good source. A food that provides 20% or more of the DV is high in that nutrient. It is important to remember that foods that provide lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet.


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