HARTFORD, Conn. — Big Y Registered Dietitian Carrie Taylor joins Teresa Dufour on this edition of Live. Work. Play. to talk about birth defect awareness month and the importance of folic acid. Folic acid is the number one super nutrient for preventing specific kinds of birth defects called neural tube defects. Carrie explains that once females hit puberty, they should start taking a 400mg Folic Acid supplement daily and by eating foods that are either fortified with folic acid or naturally contain folate (B9) in them.
According to the March of Dimes, if every woman took a daily supplement of folic acid, we could prevent the number of babies born with birth defects to the brain and spine (or neural tube defects) by 70% (source- https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/blog/are-you-getting-enough-folic-acid).
Most grains fortified with folic acid are NOT whole grain. So, supplementing with folic acid with a vitamin is the most direct route to meet folic acid and daily whole grain recommendations. Be sure to check the nutrition facts on the package.
There is a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) that assists qualifying mothers with financial assistance to obtain folic-rich food. This assistance covers pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding mothers, newborns and children up to age 5 years old. Qualifying children can be enrolled in the program, regardless of mother.
Food retailers, like Big Y, accept WIC benefits from shoppers.
If you have questions on how to meet your folic acid needs? Big Y offers FREE nutrition education with our be well with Big Y team of registered dietitians. Visit https://www.bigy.com/be-well/virtual-nutrition-offerings as well as be well™ with Big Y® with an article digging into folic acid even more- https://www.bigy.com/blog/be-well/folic-acid.
This edition of Live. Work. Play. is sponsored by Big Y.
