National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Folic Acid is the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Folic Acid
Also called: Folacin, Folate, Pteroylglutamic acid, Vitamin B9
Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.
Foods with folic acid in them include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid. If you don't get enough folic acid from the foods you eat, you can also take it as a dietary supplement.
NIH: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements
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Start Here
- Facts about Folic Acid(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Folic Acid
(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Also available in Spanish
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Overviews
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Folate(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
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Folate
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Latest News
- Folic Acid in Pregnancy Tied to Lower Autism Risk(02/12/2013, Reuters Health)
- High Doses of Folic Acid Not Tied to Cancer Risk(01/25/2013, Reuters Health)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Homocysteine Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Vitamin B12 and Folate Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Related Issues
- Folic Acid(American Cancer Society)
- Folic Acid Questions and Answers(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
- Folic Acid Supplements: Can They Slow Cognitive Decline?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Homocysteine, Folic Acid and Cardiovascular Disease(American Heart Association)
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Health Check Tools
- Folic Acid Quiz(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
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Videos
- Folic Acid(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Folic Acid Deficiency(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Folic Acid Deficiency
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Hereditary folate malabsorption(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Hereditary folate malabsorption
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Research
- Folic Acid for the Prevention of Infant Neural Tube Defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation(American College of Physicians) - PDF
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Directories
- Nutrient Lists(Dept. of Agriculture) - PDF
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Organizations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Also available in Spanish
- March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
- Also available in Spanish
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Statistics
- Blood Folate Levels(National Center for Health Statistics)
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Teenagers
- Folic Acid and Teens(Children's Hospital Boston)
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Patient Handouts
- Folate deficiency
- Also available in Spanish
- Folate-deficiency anemia
- Also available in Spanish
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