The recommended dose of folic acid for most women is 400 micrograms per day. This dose is important for the healthy development of a fetus's neural tube, which becomes its brain and spinal cord. A lack of folic acid may result in a severe birth defect called a neural tube defect (NTD). Women who are or may become pregnant are encouraged to take folic acid supplements in addition to eating foods high in folate. Folic acid may also reduce the risk of stroke, colon cancer and breast cancer.
January 2007 (R 5-07)
