In order to maintain good nutrition, especially while pregnant or nursing, you should look for foods high in folic acid and iron. Folic acid can prevent neural tube defects while iron can prevent the mother and child from becoming anemic.
Function
Folic acid can helps the body make hemoglobin while iron helps the body produce healthy red blood cells.
Foods
You can find folic acid in fortified cereals, citrus fruits, citrus juices, beans and green leafy vegetables, like spinach, broccoli and collard greens. Iron rich foods include red meats, fish, poultry, beans, lentils and iron enriched cereals.
Requirements
Your iron and folic acid intake requirements will depend on your age and gender. On average 8-15 milligrams of iron is recommended a day while 400 to 600 micrograms of folic acid is typically recommended.
Considerations
You may not get enough folic acid and iron from foods and may need to take a supplement, especially during pregnancy or while nursing.
Considerations
Eat foods high in vitamin C in order to help your body absorb both iron and folic acid.
Tags: folic acid, acid iron, folic acid, Folic acid, helps body