Which kind of folic acid is better to take during pregnancy

Pregnant women need to supplement a variety of nutrients during pregnancy, so it is very important for pregnant women to supplement folic acid during pregnancy. First of all, there are many types of folic acid that pregnant women eat and take. The more common one is ordinary folic acid tablets, and the other is to obtain folic acid through food. However, everyone also needs to pay attention to which type of folic acid is better to take during pregnancy. This still needs to be studied.

How long should pregnant women take folic acid?

Folic acid deficiency in pregnant women can lead to the two most common and serious fetal malformations (spina bifida and anencephaly, collectively known as neural tube defects). Folic acid supplementation can not only prevent fetal malformations, but a large number of studies also support that folic acid supplementation can also help the intellectual development of the fetus. Therefore, it has become a consensus that pregnant women should supplement folic acid (although folic acid can also be obtained through green leafy vegetables and pork liver, it is generally believed that synthetic folic acid supplements are better absorbed and more reliable than folic acid in natural foods).

18 days after ovulation, the nervous system begins to show. The neural tube begins to close at 22 to 28 days. At that time, most women do not know that they are pregnant. Therefore, it is too late to take folic acid after the pregnancy is confirmed (usually more than 1 month). Folic acid supplementation must be started in advance before pregnancy.

In the past, many experts have advocated starting one month in advance, but this advice is not practical. Think about it, today is July 1st, how can you confirm that you will be pregnant on August 1st and start taking folic acid from today? No one can calculate the date of pregnancy so accurately. On the other hand, if you can really calculate it so accurately, you can wait until the 18th day after pregnancy to start taking folic acid supplements.

Later, it was generally advocated to supplement folic acid every 3 months, which is also unrealistic. Today is July 1st. How can you confirm that you will be pregnant on October 1st and start taking folic acid from today? Therefore, whether it is 1 month, 3 months or 5 months in advance is not the key. The key is to supplement it in advance. That is to say, you should start taking folic acid supplements when you are preparing to get pregnant, and continue taking them until the pregnancy is confirmed (this period may be 1 month, 1 year or longer), and continue taking them until 3 months after pregnancy.

Another issue worth emphasizing is that the dosage of folic acid supplementation is 400~600 micrograms (0.4~0.6 mg) per day. Many folic acid tablets sold in pharmacies are 5 mg per tablet, which is not suitable for selection. You should choose a single-tablet dose of 400 to 600 micrograms of folic acid, one tablet per day. Or take a vitamin and mineral supplement that contains folic acid