Folic acid is a man-made form of a B vitamin called folate. 

Folate is very important for the production of red blood cells and helps in the development of your baby’s neural tube, spinal cord and the brain.

Taking a prenatal vitamin with the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid before and first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when the baby’s spine is developing and can help prevent birth defects of your baby’s brain and spinal cord. 

Folic acid is called a pregnancy superhero !

The best food sources of folic acid are leafy green vegetables, brown rice, granary bread and breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid. Folate is found naturally in dark green vegetables and citrus fruits.

It is benificial if you start taking folic acid every day for at least a month before you become pregnant, and every day while you are pregnant.

Some women will be advised to take a higher dose of 5 milligrams (5mg) of folic acid each day until they’re 12 weeks pregnant if they have a higher chance of having a pregnancy affected by neural tube defects.

It would be almost impossible to get enough folic acid just from food.The only way to get the right amount is by taking a supplement.