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Science and Supplement News: Folic Acid Consumption Up Among Women
The message that women need to take folic acid seems to be getting through. The March of Dimes reported last week that 40 percent of American women now get enough folic acid via multivitamins to prevent birth defects, an eight-percent increase over the previous year. Folic acid, a B vitamin, can prevent birth defects when women consume at least 400 micrograms (mcg) per day. To help ensure that women get enough folic acid, many common products in the United States, including rice and cereals, are now fortified with folic acid, and most multivitamins provide the full 400 mcg. The news about higher folic acid consumption comes from a March of Dimes survey, which also found that 12 percent of women knew that folic acid must be consumed before pregnancy to give the best protection against birth defects. This represents a big increase in awareness – in 1995 only two percent of women surveyed were aware of this important medical fact.
Source: modimes.org, Sept. 17, 2004
