Importance of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 during pregnancy

Vitamin B9, or Folic Acid as it is better known, is a vital nutrient in the body that is needed by people of all ages. Folic acid helps the body produce and maintain new cells, and also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. A lack of Folic Acid in the diet may lead to blood related disorders such as hyperhomocysteinemia and anaemia, which often presents as lack of energy, fatigue, pale skin and breathlessness.
The importance of Folic Acid in pregnancy is well researched and additional supplementation of Folic Acid during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is recommended by many reputable organisations including the NHS and Women’s Health.
There is widespread research that shows that taking 400mcg of Folic Acid daily reduces the chance of Neural Tube Defects and the NHS recommends ‘all women who could get pregnant should take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid before they're pregnant and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when the baby's spine is developing.’
Folic Acid is commonly found in foods such as legumes, eggs, citrus fruits, nuts and green leafy vegetables. Although these foods are nutrient dense and provide a range of vitamins and minerals, the quantity needed to provide 400mcg of Folic Acid is large, and often presents as an unrealistic amount. For example, it would require 17 eggs, 8 large oranges, over 540 grams of red kidney beans and over 206 grams of raw spinach to also reach the desired amount of 400mcg of Folic Acid.
However, an intake of this amount of food may not be practical and also means a large consumption of calories which can lead to increased weight gain. As a result, supplementation is recommended as it provides a fixed dose of folic acid, whilst also providing it in a more convenient dosing form. Although it is common to find everyday foods such as bread and cereals being fortified with Folic Acid, research has shown that some people are still falling below the recommended daily intake.
Despite Folic Acid supplementation being well studied in pregnancy, research has also shown the importance of Vitamin B12 to be used concurrently alongside the Folic Acid. Several studies into neural tube defect pregnancies have shown reduced levels of Vitamin B12 in amniotic fluid, whilst other studies have shown that supplementation of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 together reduced the rate of exencephaly spinabifida occulta, palate and rib malformations, kidney abnormalities and foetal weight retardation in mice.
The increase in awareness and information regarding the use of Vitamin B12 alongside Folic Acid has now prompted many organisations such as American Pregnancy and NHS to recommend supplementing with both nutrients together, rather than Folic Acid alone.
In conclusion, Folic Acid plays a major role in everyday life and its use is widely recommended in pregnancy. Although there are dietary sources of Folic Acid, a large volume of food is often required to fulfil the recommended amounts, and as a result, many organisations recommend supplementing. There is extensive research available into Folic Acid supplementation and its association with a reduction in neural tube defects, and now there is increasing awareness into the importance of Vitamin B12 to be used alongside Folic Acid.
Rohit Shelatkar, Vice President, Vitabiotics LtD