A folic acid deficiency is manifested by anemia, digestive disorders and changes in the mucous membranes. In the unborn child, the deficiency can lead to deformities such as the so-called open back.
In order to achieve the recommended folate intake, careful food selection is necessary. Liver, green vegetables, legumes, potatoes, wheat germ, yeast, egg yolks, whole grain cereal products, citrus fruits and citrus juices are particularly rich in folate. Many breakfast muesli or breakfast cereals are also enriched with folic acid. When preparing food, it should be taken into account that a large part of the folic acid is destroyed by cooking.
The German Nutrition Society recommends that young people and adults consume 0.4 mg folic acid equivalents daily. Pregnant women have a higher requirement and should therefore consume 0.6 mg folic acid equivalents (the sum of folic acid and dietary folate) daily. This is difficult to achieve through diet alone, so appropriate nutritional supplements must be taken into account. Women who want to become pregnant should also take an appropriate amount of the vitamin as a precaution and as a basis for an ideal course of their pregnancy.
The increased need for folic acid already exists in the first weeks of pregnancy; therefore at a time when the expectant mother does not yet know that she is carrying a child.
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