HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — If you’re a woman of a certain age, there’s a vitamin you might need to pick up on your next trip to the drugstore.
Dr. April Miller explains the importance of folic acid.
She’s an obstetrician-gynecologist with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Talking Points:
- Folic acid is a vitamin that helps our bodies make new cells for example cells in the skin, hair, and nails.
- Folic acid helps prevent major birth defects in the baby’s brain and spine which is why every woman should take it even before they are pregnant
- You can take it as a multivitamin daily – 400 mcg is the recommended daily dose. You can find it at any drugstore, but it can also be found in food sources like dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains, fresh fruits, peas and nuts.
- Every woman of reproductive age needs to get folic acid every day, whether she is planning to get pregnant or not.
