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B9 Folate — An Important Nutrient During Pregnancy and Beyond

Folate is a nutrient most people only think of during pregnancy, though typically they think of its synthetic form, folic acid. While folate is imperative during periods of fast growth, like fetal development, we need folate throughout our lives for many important functions.

Our body uses folate to produce healthy red and white blood cells, DNA and RNA, proteins, and to synthesize serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects our mood. It also has an important role in fighting cancer and in breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that in excess can cause cardiovascular disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and muscle strength loss.

Getting an appropriate folate intake is easy when we follow a whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet because it is highly present in dark leafy greens and legumes. 

People who mostly eat animal-based products are at risk of deficiency. This is why folic acid has been added to processed grains and other foods since 1998. But here’s a key difference between folate and folic acid: As a water-soluble nutrient, our body eliminates any excess folate through urine, so there’s no risk of toxicity through WFPB sources. Instead, we do accumulate excess folic acid and this could lead to cancer or cognitive decline.

Even if we’re not taking supplements, we should be aware of how much folic acid we’re getting through fortified foods like bread, cereal, pasta, and even nutritional yeast. Whenever possible, choose unfortified foods and get your folate from greens and legumes.

Scroll down to discover some of folate’s top sources, to try our personalized nutrition calculator, and to learn more important information.

Top Whole-Food, Plant-Based Sources

Hover over each food below to see how much folate or vitamin B9 you can get with one serving. Click on each food’s picture to visit its interactive page with a personalized calculator of all the nutrition you can get from one serving, more information about how it supports our body, tips to choose and prepare it, interesting facts, and more!

Broccoli

Broccoli

1 cup cooked = 42% DV

Link
Avocado

Avocado

1 medium = 28% DV

Link
Peanuts

Peanuts

1/4 cup = 22% DV

Link
Quinoa

Quinoa

1 cup cooked = 19% DV

Link
Leafy Greens

Leafy Greens

1 c cooked spinach = 66% | collard greens = 34% | kale = 19% DV

Link
Legumes

Legumes

1 c edamame = 121% | lentils = 90% | chickpeas = 71% DV

Link
Asparagus

Asparagus

1 c cooked = 67% DV

Link
Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

1/4 c kernels = 20% DV

Link

Vitamin B9 Folate Personalized Calculator

See how much vitamin B9 or folate you and your family members need, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

Terminology:

  • Daily Value (DV): The recommended amount of nutrients to consume each day for individuals who are 4 years old or older.
  • Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA): The recommended amount of nutrients to consume each day according to the individual’s age, gender, and whether a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Upper Intake Level (UL): The highest amount of nutrient intake that will not pose adverse health effects on most individuals.
  • Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE): This is used to make up for absorption differences between folate sources and folic acid. 1 mcg DFE = 1 mcg of food folate, 0.6 mcg of folic acid taken with food, and 0.5 mcg of folic acid supplements taken on an empty stomach.

Important Things to Know

Hover over each of the interesting facts below to flip the tiles and learn more details.

Check out the interesting facts below! Tap on the red triangles to flip the tiles and learn more details.

The word “folate” comes from foliage, the top source of this nutrient.

If we need another reason to eat our leafy greens, green vegetables and legumes, this is a great one. The word “folate” derives from “foliage” because it is through these healthy foods that we can get all the folate we need. People eating mostly animal-based foods and processed foods are not getting enough natural folate in their body, and are therefore likely deficient.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. In excess, it can lead to toxicity.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, and is often better known since most people have heard of the importance of supplementing folic acid during pregnancy. While folic acid can help those who are deficient and who cannot get enough through their diet, excessive folic acid intake (over 1000 mcg/day) can lead to health complications like cancer and cognitive impairment.

If you are taking folic acid supplements, keep in mind all other sources of folic acid you might be ingesting, since folic acid in fortified foods and supplements can add up and exceed our Tolerable Upper Intake levels.

Ensure your developing baby gets plenty of folate through the right sources.

If you’re following a diet with plenty of leafy greens, green vegetables, and legumes, then your folate levels should be adequate. However, if you’re not able to eat as much, particularly during the first trimester, you might need to take supplements.

Consider taking organic prenatal supplements that offer folate or methylfolate derived from plants instead of folic acid, the synthetic form, or even methylfolate derived from folic acid.

Methyl means that the folate has been pre-processed so that it’s ready to be used by our body. When we get our folate from our diet, we convert what we need into methylfolate and excrete the rest. We can also convert some of the folic acid we ingest through supplements and fortified foods into methylfolate. The problem is that we don’t excrete the leftovers.

This unprocessed folic acid can then get absorbed in our cells and our developing baby’s cells, leading to potential issues such as a higher cancer risk and cognitive impairment.

Still, if we only have access to folic acid supplements, the recommendation is to take the folic acid. This is because a folate deficiency during pregnancy can lead to serious risks like neural tube defects, congenital heart defects, and low birth weight.  

Based on this information, our folate sources from ideal to less ideal would be:

  • Plant-based dietary sources
  • Organic prenatal supplements with folate or methylfolate derived from plants
  • Supplements with methylfolate derived from folic acid (already converted so no unprocessed folic acid can go roaming around)
  • Folic acid supplements

When taking supplements, make sure the amount is under 1000 mcg/day. This is important because you may be ingesting additional folic acid through fortified foods that would take you over your 1000 mcg/day Tolerable Upper Intake limit.

Talk to your obstetrician about your folate intake and concerns.

We need folate to use protein, break it down, and make new proteins.

We often worry about our protein intake, especially when we first transition into a whole-foods, plant-based diet. However, just as important as our intake, is our efficiency in using, breaking down, and creating new proteins in our body, and folate (together with vitamin C and vitamin B12) has a key role in this.

So, while it is important to get an adequate protein intake, you should also focus on getting plenty of these nutrients to help your body use protein more efficiently.

Folate or vitamin B9 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia.

Folate is an important nutrient for the production of our red blood cells, and folate deficiency often leads to megaloblastic anemia.

Megaloblastic anemia is when our red blood cells are larger, fewer, and live less than the normal amount of time. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, headaches, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.

Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and ask to get your folate levels checked.

Folate deficiency may increase the risk of severe depression by a threefold.

We need folate to make serotonin, one of our mood-regulating neurotransmitters. So, it makes sense that folate deficiency will have a negative effect on our mood. There are multiple studies that have in fact linked severe depression to low dietary intake of folate. And though folic acid is now present in multiple processed foods, this synthetic form of folate doesn’t seem to correct mood disorders, as seen here.

The best thing we can do to support our mood is to get our folate from whole-food, plant-based sources like greens and beans.

If you or someone you love suffer from severe depression, be sure to consult your doctor and follow the proper treatment.

Commercial bread, flour, pasta, and other grain products are fortified with folic acid.

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required food companies to fortify bread, flour, cornmeal, pasta, rice, and other grain products with folic acid. This was in response to the inadequate dietary folate intake in most of the population.

While the idea behind this was to prevent health complications related to deficiency such as megaloblastic anemia and birth defects, excessive folic acid has its complications as well. When someone takes folic acid supplements or as part of a multivitamin, and they ingest high amounts of folic acid through these products, they could pass their Tolerable Upper Intake levels.

Excessive folic acid intake may disguise a vitamin B12 deficiency.

One bad consequence of getting excessive folic acid (over 1000 mcg/day) is that it can disguise a vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because it corrects the anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. The problem is that B12 deficiency can still lead to brain, spinal cord, and nerve damage. Getting folate through natural sources doesn’t have this same effect.

Folic acid toxicity can lead to colon cancer and other types of cancer.

Excess folic acid is linked to colon cancer and other types of cancer in adults and in children when exposed during early development stages.

When we ingest folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) our body is unable to metabolize all of it into folate to use for different functions. The folic acid that is not metabolized still circulates in our blood, unmodified. This folic acid may affect the function of immune cells. Also, folate is important for cell growth. Cancer cells have more folate receptors than regular cells, so excess circulating folic acid helps cancer cells grow. 

The word “folate” comes from foliage, the top source of this nutrient.

If we need another reason to eat our leafy greens, green vegetables and legumes, this is a great one. The word “folate” derives from “foliage” because it is through these healthy foods that we can get all the folate we need. People eating mostly animal-based foods and processed foods are not getting enough natural folate in their body, and are therefore likely deficient.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. In excess, it can lead to toxicity.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, and is often better known since most people have heard of the importance of supplementing folic acid during pregnancy. While folic acid can help those who are deficient and who cannot get enough through their diet, excessive folic acid intake (over 1000 mcg/day) can lead to health complications like cancer and cognitive impairment.

If you are taking folic acid supplements, keep in mind all other sources of folic acid you might be ingesting, since folic acid in fortified foods and supplements can add up and exceed our Tolerable Upper Intake levels.

Ensure your developing baby gets plenty of folate through the right sources.

If you’re following a diet with plenty of leafy greens, green vegetables, and legumes, then your folate levels should be adequate. However, if you’re not able to eat as much, particularly during the first trimester, you might need to take supplements.

Consider taking organic prenatal supplements that offer folate or methylfolate derived from plants instead of folic acid, the synthetic form, or even methylfolate derived from folic acid.

Methyl means that the folate has been pre-processed so that it’s ready to be used by our body. When we get our folate from our diet, we convert what we need into methylfolate and excrete the rest. We can also convert some of the folic acid we ingest through supplements and fortified foods into methylfolate. The problem is that we don’t excrete the leftovers.

This unprocessed folic acid can then get absorbed in our cells and our developing baby’s cells, leading to potential issues such as a higher cancer risk and cognitive impairment.

Still, if we only have access to folic acid supplements, the recommendation is to take the folic acid. This is because a folate deficiency during pregnancy can lead to serious risks like neural tube defects, congenital heart defects, and low birth weight.  

Based on this information, our folate sources from ideal to less ideal would be:

  • Plant-based dietary sources
  • Organic prenatal supplements with folate or methylfolate derived from plants
  • Supplements with methylfolate derived from folic acid (already converted so no unprocessed folic acid can go roaming around)
  • Folic acid supplements

When taking supplements, make sure the amount is under 1000 mcg/day. This is important because you may be ingesting additional folic acid through fortified foods that would take you over your 1000 mcg/day Tolerable Upper Intake limit.

Talk to your obstetrician about your folate intake and concerns.

We need folate to use protein, break it down, and make new proteins.

We often worry about our protein intake, especially when we first transition into a whole-foods, plant-based diet. However, just as important as our intake, is our efficiency in using, breaking down, and creating new proteins in our body, and folate (together with vitamin C and vitamin B12) has a key role in this.

So, while it is important to get an adequate protein intake, you should also focus on getting plenty of these nutrients to help your body use protein more efficiently.

Folate or vitamin B9 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia.

Folate is an important nutrient for the production of our red blood cells, and folate deficiency often leads to megaloblastic anemia.

Megaloblastic anemia is when our red blood cells are larger, fewer, and live less than the normal amount of time. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, headaches, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.

Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and ask to get your folate levels checked.

Folate deficiency may increase the risk of severe depression by a threefold.

We need folate to make serotonin, one of our mood-regulating neurotransmitters. So, it makes sense that folate deficiency will have a negative effect on our mood. There are multiple studies that have in fact linked severe depression to low dietary intake of folate. And though folic acid is now present in multiple processed foods, this synthetic form of folate doesn’t seem to correct mood disorders, as seen here.

The best thing we can do to support our mood is to get our folate from whole-food, plant-based sources like greens and beans.

If you or someone you love suffer from severe depression, be sure to consult your doctor and follow the proper treatment.

Commercial bread, flour, pasta, and other grain products are fortified with folic acid.

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required food companies to fortify bread, flour, cornmeal, pasta, rice, and other grain products with folic acid. This was in response to the inadequate dietary folate intake in most of the population.

While the idea behind this was to prevent health complications related to deficiency such as megaloblastic anemia and birth defects, excessive folic acid has its complications as well. When someone takes folic acid supplements or as part of a multivitamin, and they ingest high amounts of folic acid through these products, they could pass their Tolerable Upper Intake levels.

Excessive folic acid intake may disguise a vitamin B12 deficiency.

One bad consequence of getting excessive folic acid (over 1000 mcg/day) is that it can disguise a vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because it corrects the anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. The problem is that B12 deficiency can still lead to brain, spinal cord, and nerve damage. Getting folate through natural sources doesn’t have this same effect.

Folic acid toxicity can lead to colon cancer and other types of cancer.

Excess folic acid is linked to colon cancer and other types of cancer in adults and in children when exposed during early development stages.

When we ingest folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) our body is unable to metabolize all of it into folate to use for different functions. The folic acid that is not metabolized still circulates in our blood, unmodified. This folic acid may affect the function of immune cells. Also, folate is important for cell growth. Cancer cells have more folate receptors than regular cells, so excess circulating folic acid helps cancer cells grow. 

Comparison of Folate Sources

You may be wondering about other potential sources of folate, such as supplements and meat. Below we make a quick and simple comparison between the three options.

Best source!
Plant-Based
Following a diet rich in green vegetables and legumes is typically enough to maintain proper levels of folate. Since our body converts the folate it needs into methylfolate and excretes the rest, there is no risk of toxicity.
Supplements
If needed, take organic supplements with natural folate or methylfolate derived from plants, or even supplements with methylfolate derived from folic acid.
Methyl means that the folate or folic acid has been preprocessed and is ready to be used by our body.
Try to avoid folic acid because our body can only convert some of it into methylfolate and the rest stays in our blood increasing our risk of cancer, cognitive impairment, and a weakened immune system.
Animal-based
Except for beef liver, folate is not highly present in animal-based foods. Thus, a low-carb diet rich in animal biproducts will likely lead to a folate deficiency.
Beef liver can cause vitamin A toxicity.

References