According to new research it is important for women who are aiming to become pregnant to ingest 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.

Folic acid reduces the risk of serious or deadly neural tube defects such as spina bifida, in which the spine doesn't close properly, or anencephaly, in which the fetus has an underdeveloped brain and skull. Folic acid, or folate, a B vitamin, has been found to reduce the risk of these defects by 50-70%.

Foods naturally high in folate include fruits and orange juice from concentrate, green leafy vegetables and dried beans.

Folic acid has no known toxic level; even if you were to eat a bowl of fully fortified cereal, take a supplement, eat fortified foods and foods rich in folate, women of reproductive age would not have a problem, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It also may have other benefits. High levels of homocysteine, an amino acid, are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Folic acid lowers homocysteine levels, although it is not known whether it also lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke, the CDC says. It also may play a role in protecting against cervical, colon and possibly breast cancers, according to March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

Source: Foodnews