Before getting pregnant, folate or folic acid seemed an unknown vitamin for most women and when they get pregnant, it is one of the first vitamins that are introduced in their pregnancy diet. What is folate or folic acid? Why is it very important for pregnant women to have foods to eat when pregnant that are rich in folate? Folate or folic acid is Vitamin B9. It is very important during the early stages of pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. This vitamin helps in the development of organs during the first few weeks of the baby's development inside the womb. Folate aids in the proper development of the brain and the rest of the nervous system. Birth defects like Spina-Bifida, also known as neural tube birth defects, are caused by underdeveloped brain and spinal cord, and are primarily attributed to lack of folate. For the mother, proper intake of folate reduces the risk of miscarriages which is why women who want to get pregnant take folate supplements. Hence, this vitamin must be taken during the early stages of pregnancy when the development of the baby is crucial. Aside from getting folate and folic acid from supplements that doctors can prescribe, there are many folate-rich foods that pregnant women can eat to ensure that they have enough intake of folate from their diet. The main sources of folate for any pregnant woman are vegetables, specifically green leafy vegetables, beans, root crops, seeds and fruits. Eggs and some juices like orange juice and tomato juice also contain folate. There are also many folate-fortified foods that you can eat to supplement your folate intake. Beans and seeds that are rich in folate or folic acid include black-eyed peas, kidney beans, great northern beans, lima beans, sunflower seeds, baked beans, green peas and even peanuts. For vegetables and root crops, go for asparagus, broccoli, spinach, okra, iceberg lettuce, brussels sprouts, corn, cabbage and potato. Fruits that have high folate content are avocados and bananas. For more nourishment, choose vegetables and fresh fruits as much as possible rather than those canned and processed ones in which some nutrients are already lost or just contain empty calories in the form of sugar. Likewise, liver and lean beef also contain folate aside from iron. If you think that you don't have adequate intake of these vegetables, you can buy folate-fortified foods from your nearest supermarket. There are plenty of food choices like folate-fortified breakfast cereal, folate-fortified soy milk, folate-fortified egg noodles, folate-enriched pasta, folate-fortified bread, folate-fortified bagels, folate-fortified muffins and even folate-fortified white rice. All it takes is to check the food labels. As this vitamin is vital for your baby's development, you must include folate-rich foods as one of the foods to eat when pregnant. The moment you learn that you are pregnant or even when planning to have a baby, start eating the foods mentioned above and you can then be confident of having a healthy happy baby.
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