Fabulous Folate: Beets * Spinach * Black-eyed peas * Asparagus * Brussels sprouts * Romaine lettuce #GardenCuizine

Fabulous Folate

An important water soluble 

B Vitamin

Take a look at which foods contain folate and be sure to eat them. When it comes to Folate - a natural, water soluble B vitamin - think of the word "foliage" since Folate is found in vegetables like spinach, turnip greens and Romaine lettuce. Folate is also found in other foods too, including: fruits,fruit juices, nuts, beans, peas, dairy products, poultry, meat, eggs, seafood, and grains. Brussels sprouts, asparagus, breakfast cereals, liver, black-eyed peas, rice, and yeast are excellent sources of folate.
 
Folate is needed by our bodies to serve as a coenzyme or cosubstrate in protein metabolism and in single-carbon transfers in the synthesis of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). We need folate for proper cell division. An impairment in adults can lead to megaloblastic anemia, an indicator of folate deficiency. Folate is especially important for the prevention of neural tube defects in newborns.

The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that to reduce the risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida or anencephaly, women capable of becoming pregnant should consume at least 400 micrograms (mcg) a day of synthetic folic acid either from a vitamin supplement, breakfast cereals or other fortified foods, in addition to eating a healthy diet that includes folate-rich foods. Folate requirements increase during pregnancy to 600 mcg a day. Folate is an important nutrient regardless of planning a pregnancy. In fact, men need folate too. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) by the Institute of Medicine for males age 14 to 70+ is 400 mcg a day.

Since January 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required manufacturers to add folic acid to enrich breads, cereals, flours, cornmeals, pasta, and other grain products. Cereals and grains are widely consumed in the United States, therefore are important contributors of folic acid to the American diet.

Add some of these selected Food Sources of Folate to your daily diet
Food	mcg Folate per serving	Percent  DV*
Beef liver, braised, 3 ounces	215	54
Turnip greens, boiled 1 cup	170	42
Spinach, boiled, ½ cup	131	33
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas), boiled, ½ cup	105	26
Breakfast cereals, fortified with 25%DV	100	25
Asparagus, boiled, 4 spears	89	22
Spaghetti, cooked, enriched, ½ cup	83	21
Brussels sprouts, frozen, boiled, ½ cup	78	20
Lettuce, romaine, shredded, 1 cup	64	16
Avocado, raw, sliced, ½ cup	59	15
Spinach, raw, 1 cup	58	15
Broccoli, chopped, frozen, cooked, ½ cup	52	13
Green peas, boiled, ½ cup	47	12
Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup	46	12
Peanuts, dry roasted, 1 ounce	41	10
Wheat germ, 2 tablespoons	40	10
Beets, one 2-inch beet	40	10
Endive, 1/2 cup chopped	36	9
Tomato juice, canned, ¾ cup	36	9
Crab, Dungeness, 3 ounces	36	9
* Percent Daily Value (%DV) is based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Watch for my next article on Dave's Gardens for more information on plant sources of B Vitamins ...coming soon! 
Related Links 
NIH Folate dietary supplement fact sheet
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