Folic Acid and Pregnancy
August 18, 2008
Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful phase for a women which along with bringing a feeling of bliss and happiness, also brings with it a hope and prayer that the child is born healthy and fit. However, to ensure the safe birth of a child, one needs to take care of one’s own health and it has been found that consuming folic acid every day can actually help in the birth of a healthy child without any serious birth defects. Folic acid, also known as folate, is needed by the body to produce red blood cells and it is naturally found in nuts, liver and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach. Having enough of folic acid in the body during the pregnancy period helps in decreasing the risks of neutral tube defects or NTD’s which are birth defects of baby’s brain or spine. Thus, folic acid is an invaluable vitamin which is a must for every pregnant woman to ensure the safety of the child as well as the expecting mother.
Since folic acid is crucial in the development of DNA, it plays a large role in cell growth, development and tissue formation and thus helps in the prevention of neutral tube defects in new born babies. Along with preventing the coming baby from birth defects, folic acid also helps in the overall health and fitness of women. It helps in the lowering the risk of heart diseases, stroke and other vascular diseases. According to research, the required amount of folic acid needed by the body during pregnancy cannot be provided by the simple intake of balanced food. Thus, it is recommended that pregnant women should take folic acid supplements to reduce the risk of birth defects in their baby. In addition to supplements, it is always advisable to eat folic acid rich natural food items like vegetables, fruits like strawberries, melons, banana and orange, grains and nuts like almonds, cashew nuts and peanuts.
Folic acid should thus be taken by every woman and especially by those who are planning to get pregnant or are already expecting as this invaluable vitamin not only helps in the healthy birth and development of your child, but also aids in the overall health and well being of the expecting mother.
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