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Vitamin B9 (Folate and folic acid)

• the body form healthy red blood cells
• reduce the risk of birth defects called neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in unborn babies

Vitamin B9 (Folate and folic acid)

Folate is found in many foods.
The manmade form of folate is called folic acid.
A lack of folate could lead to folate deficiency anaemia.
Sources of Folate: green vegetables (cabbage, kale, spinach), peas, broccoli, liver...
There are no long-term stores in the body, so you need to eat folate-containing foods frequently.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
- for folate is listed as micrograms (mcg) of dietary folate equivalents (DFE),
- men and women ages 19 years and older should aim for 400 mcg (400µg) DFE,
- pregnant and lactating women require 600 mcg (600µg) DFE and 500 mcg (500µg) DFE, respectively,
- people who regularly drink alcohol should aim for at least 600 mcg (600µg) DFE of folate daily since alcohol can impair its absorption.

A Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) is the maximum daily dose unlikely to cause adverse side effects in the general population. The UL for adults for folic acid from fortified food or supplements (not including folate from food) is set at 1.000 mcg (1.000µg) a day.

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