One of the major responsibilities of an expectant mom is to ensure that she and the little one inside her womb are both healthy. In this situation, some moms take vitamins containing folic acid for pregnant women to help them with their journey. Check out our recommendations for the best prenatal folic acid vitamins for pregnancy here.
What are prenatal vitamins?
The best method to receive the vitamins and minerals you need is through a balanced diet. However, it's possible to miss important nutrients while pregnant. Furthermore, some pregnancy discomforts and changes like morning sickness, loss of appetite, and changing food choices hinder moms-to-be from eating enough food to get the right amount of nutrients their body needs.
Prenatal vitamins can also help fill up any gaps when you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. This is why drinking prenatal supplements are very important.
Folic acid is one of the essential nutrients a pregnant mom needs to maintain a healthy pregnancy. To learn more, scroll down to learn the benefits of folic acid during pregnancy.
Plus, we’ll introduce to you our top pick brands of prenatal vitamins with folic acids for pregnant women that you can add to your online shopping cart here in the Philippines.
Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy
Do you wonder what could happen if you do not have enough folic acid in your body during your pregnancy? Everyone necessitates folate, a B vitamin, in the form of folic acid.
Folic acid is especially essential if you are attempting to get pregnant or are currently pregnant. Unborn children are shielded from serious birth abnormalities by folic acid.
Folic acid is essential for a pregnant mom’s health. It is a form of folate, a B vitamin that plays a vital role in the baby’s neural tube development.
The neural tube development is very significant since it is responsible for developing the brain and spinal cord. Within the first four weeks of pregnancy, this tube closes.
If an expectant mom’s body lacks folic acid, this might prevent proper closure of the neural tube, resulting in a neural tube defect. And this affects the brain and spinal cord formation.
Spina Bifida
The most common neural defects are spina bifida which involves the spinal cord and spinal column, and anencephaly, which involves the skull, scalp, and brain.
Folic acid deficiency also increases the baby's risk of congenital defects and malformation.
This is why it is important for an expectant mom to have a normal level of folic acid in her body.
Having a high folic acid diet and taking folic acid for pregnancy is a must. The recommended dose of folic acid per day is 400 mcg.
How can you get folic acid deficiency during pregnancy?
Lack of a healthy, balanced diet is one of the main reasons for folate insufficiency. Foods that naturally contain folate or are fortified with folic acid are part of a healthy diet. Possible root causes of a lack of folate can be:
- Having diseases related to the digestive system is why it cannot absorb folic acid well.
- Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol instead of eating food.
- Overcooking food destroys the natural folate, especially in fruits and vegetables.
- Having a blood disorder that destroys red blood cells, such as hemolytic anemia.
- Undergoing certain medications that may interfere with the proper absorption of folate.
- Treating kidney failure using kidney dialysis.
Symptoms of folic acid deficiency during pregnancy
Here are the following conditions you should take a look at if you have folic acid deficiency:
- Pale skin
- Dyspnea or difficulty in breathing
- Short tempered or feeling of irritation from time to time
- Headache
- Dizziness or nausea
- Swollen mouth
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Red and tender tongue
- Mouth ulcers
- Difficulty in remembering things
- Feeling confused every time
- Low energy
- Weakness of the muscle
- Loss of weight
- Diarrhea
Folic acid for pregnant: Its amazing benefits
These are the benefits of folic acid for getting pregnant and for pregnant moms:
Folic acid for getting pregnant
- It prevents folic acid deficiency anemia, which might affect the development of the baby in an earlier stage; and
- Folate with a build-up in the body will give advanced protection against neural tube defects to the future fetus that will be formed in the womb.
Folic acid for pregnant
Foods rich in folic acid for pregnant
You can get folic acid simply by eating healthy foods every meal. Listed here are the foods which are good sources of folic acid that you can incorporate into your diet:
cabbage, spinach, asparagus, lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Legumes:
dried peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
Fruits:
avocado, orange, honeydew melon, banana, raspberry, papaya, grapefruit, strawberry, and corn.
Juices:
orange juice, pineapple juice, and tomato juice.
Fortified food products:
cereal, bread, pasta, and rice.
5 Best folic acid vitamins for your pregnancy
Folic acid is an important nutrient for everyone, but it is especially key during pregnancy. Here are the reviews of our prenatal vitamins with folic acid for pregnancy that we know is the best for you!
| Brand |
Category |
| Folart Folic Acid |
Best Anti-Anemic Multivitamins |
| RiteMed Folic Acid |
Best Generic Folic Acid Multivitamins |
| Nature Made Folic Acid |
Best For Natural Ingredients |
| Puritan’s Pride Folic Acid |
Best For Cardiovascular Support |
| Vitafusion Prenatal Multivitamins with Folate & DHA Gummies |
Best Gummy Vitamins |
| Ameciron Iron Plus Folic Acid Prenatal Vitamins |
Most-budget Friendly |
|
Belta Folic Acid Supplement for Women Fertility & Pregnancy Booster
|
Best For Hormone Regulations |
Best Anti-Anemic Multivitamins
This product has the highest quality raw materials of Swiss origin and production is carried out in accordance with ISO 9001-2008. Certainly, FOLART is the first and original pure 5 mg pure Folic Acid capsule with more than 20 years of shown safety and efficacy.
Low blood levels of folate and excessive blood levels of homocysteine are prevented and treated with this medication. Folic acid is taken by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant to stop significant birth abnormalities, including spina bifida.
Features we love:
- Original pure 5 mg folic acid vitamins
- Safe and efficient
- Capsule
- Helps in folate deficiency and low levels of homocysteine
Best Generic Folic Acid Multivitamins
If you are searching for a generic form of folic acid vitamins for pregnant, check out RiteMed Folic Acid.
Each tablet of this generic folic acid brand for pregnant women contains 5 mg of folic acid. This is very helpful in meeting the daily required dosage of folate, which is 400 mcg.
And compared to other generic brands, this is cheaper, but still, it offers the same health benefits.
Secondly, this folic acid supplement is made with pregnancy-safe ingredients. These ingredients effectively treat and prevent folic acid deficiency.
Ritemed Folic Acid should also be taken by child-bearing women and pregnant moms to protect their offspring against neural tube defects. There are no undesirable effects reported upon consuming this vitamin.
Features we love:
- Contains 5mg of folic acid.
- Cheaper compared to other generic brands.
- No undesirable effects were reported.
Best For Natural Ingredients
Get your daily dose of all-natural folic acid with Nature Made Folic Acid. Sourced from high-quality ingredients that can be found in green leafy vegetables, this folic acid for pregnant women provides nutritional support for their child’s nervous system development.
It reduces the risk of having a child with a neural tube defect. Also, it is safe for expectant moms and recommended for women of childbearing age.
You’ll definitely enjoy the goodness of this natural folic acid vitamin. It contains no preservatives, artificial flavors, dyes, or gluten.
The product does not just contain 400 mcg of folic acid. Lastly, it is also formulated with 70 mg of calcium for additional health support.
Features we love:
- All natural folic acid vitamin.
- Sourced from high-quality ingredients.
- Contains 400 mcg of folic acid.
- Formulated with calcium.
Best For Cardiovascular Support
Puritan’s Pride offers the purest folic acid vitamin, which can be your best pick if you are looking for one.
It is a vegetarian folic acid supplement that supports a healthy pregnancy, cardiovascular and nervous systems, and energy metabolism and helps repair DNA.
Each tablet has 400 mcg of folic acid that can suffice the daily folate dosage needed by the body.
Aside from its pregnancy health benefits, taking Puritan’s Pride Folic Acid can also prevent folate deficiency and anemia. It fights memory loss and improves short-term memory.
The product is not formulated with preservatives, artificial flavorings, sweeteners and colorings, sugar, starch, milk, lactose, soy, gluten, wheat, yeast, fish, and sodium.
Surely, taking this supplement won’t irritate or harm you and the little one inside your womb.
Features we love:
- Pure folic acid.
- Vegetarian supplement.
- Supports healthy pregnancy.
- No harmful ingredients were added.
Best Gummy Vitamins
Folic acid dosing would be so much more enjoyable with these great-tasting prenatal multivitamins gummies from Vitafusion.
The Vitafusion Prenatal Multivitamins with Folate and DHA Gummies offer the best support to pregnant moms and their babies’ everyday health needs.
Each yummy gummy contains essential vitamins and minerals packed with folic acid and DHA. These are proven to offer a lot of health benefits to an expectant mom.
The product does contain iron which makes it easy on the stomach. This vitamin prevents you from having stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. It is free from gluten and heavy metals such as mercury and lead.
Infused with natural raspberry and lemonade flavors, it will surely tickle your picky pregnancy taste buds.
And we bet you won’t forget to take your folic acid vitamins daily with these gummies.
Features we love:
- Gummy supplement.
- Multivitamins with folic acid and DHA.
- Easy on the stomach.
- Flavored with natural raspberry and lemonade.
Most-budget friendly
If you keep on waiting for the best prenatal vitamins for pregnancy that you can buy for a low cost, here it is! The Ameciron Iron Plus Folic Acid Prenatal Vitamins are also best for the iron component in it.
In conclusion, to avoid neural tube abnormalities, taking this medicine should be started as soon as feasible (preferably before conception).
Features we love:
- Affordable price
- Good iron components
- Anti-anemic
Best for Hormone Regulations
This product is an example of a female supplement. It is designed to supply vital nutrients required before, during, and after pregnancy.
Additionally, it offers nutritional assistance for good female fertility. The appropriate formation of red blood cells is facilitated by prenatal vitamins.
What's more, it aids in PCOS women's infertility treatment and menstrual cycle regulation. Furthermore, it lowers the chance of birth abnormalities such as spina bifida and neural tube problems.
The vitamins can also assist you in overcoming the stress of being a mother, both physically and mentally. Additionally, it promotes the growth of the baby's brain, visual motor abilities, hearing, and normal intelligence.
Overall it meets the daily recommended dosage of 400mcg for folic acid, you don't need to be concerned about your consumption.
Features we love:
- Helps in women's PCOS
- Packed with vital nutrients
Price Comparison Table
To help you decide wisely on choosing the best folic acid for pregnant women, here’s a quick comparison of the folic acid vitamins prices:
| Brand |
Pack size |
Price (Php) |
| Folart Folic Acid |
30, 60, and 100 tablets |
Php 405.00 to Php 1,299.00 |
| RiteMed Folic Acid |
10 tablets |
Php 50.00 |
| Nature Made Folic Acid |
250 tablets |
Php 649.00 |
| Puritan’s Pride Folic Acid |
250 tablets |
Php 359.00 |
| Vitafusion Prenatal Multivitamins with Folate & DHA Gummies |
90 gummies |
Php 1,250.00 |
| Ameciron Iron Plus Folic Acid Prenatal Vitamins |
100 tablets |
Php 88.00 |
| Belta Folic Acid Supplement for Women Fertility & Pregnancy Booster |
30 tablets |
Php 2,443.00 |
When to take folic acid morning or night
Folic acid supplements should be used by anyone who wants to get pregnant before they continue wanting.
In fact, this occurs because neural tube problems manifest early stages of development. It usually happens before a woman is aware that she is pregnant.
According to specialists, everyone who can become pregnant should take folic acid supplements. According to the data, it is roughly half of the pregnancies are unexpected.
In doing this, it is ensured that there is a low likelihood of neural tube anomalies, even in the event of an unexpected pregnancy.
Since folic acid is water soluble, the body can process it efficiently. This means those who take folic acid pills must take one daily.
It is not necessary to take the supplement with a meal or at a fixed time of day. Although forming a habit can enable you to remember to take folic acid. Try taking a prenatal vitamin every morning with breakfast.
Note:
Each item and price is up to date as of publication. However, an item may be sold out, or the price may be different at a later date.
Editor's note:
The product links provided here are aimed to help simplify product searches for our readers. Purchase the items at your own discretion. We do not take liability for any transaction issues and disputes. If you purchase an item from this post, theAsianparent may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out, or the price may be different at a later date.
If you have an iron deficiency, read this: Best Iron Vitamins for Pregnant to Fight Iron Deficiency
