{"id":28883,"date":"2018-11-30T09:42:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T17:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/?p=28883"},"modified":"2019-12-16T11:00:03","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T19:00:03","slug":"folic-acid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/","title":{"rendered":"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span>If you\u2019re trying to conceive, you\u2019ve probably already heard people talking about folate\u00a0(or the synthetic version, folic acid) as\u00a0one of the essential\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/prenatal-vitamins\/\">prenatal vitamins<\/a>. But\u00a0when should\u00a0you\u00a0start taking it?<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Knowing when to take folic acid, and in what quantity, can help prevent serious birth defects. However, some controversy surrounding folate and folic acid exists. In the interest of providing the best information available, we&#8217;ll also address those concerns.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Takeaways:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Folate and folic acid are two different forms of vitamin B9, which help cell growth<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Folate occurs naturally in food, while folic acid is the synthetic version\u00a0found in vitamins or processed foods<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Folate and folic acid are instrumental in preventing neural tube defects\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">You should start taking folate supplements at\u00a0<i>least<\/i>\u00a0a month prior to\u00a0conception (because these defects develop very early on\u2014before you know you are pregnant)<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">There is some evidence that taking too much folate can be detrimental to your health<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is folic acid? Is it different from folate?<\/h2>\n<p>Folic acid is a synthetic B-vitamin found in vitamin supplements. When naturally occurring in food (such as leafy green vegetables, beans, and some fruits) this vitamin is called folate. Folate is vital for copying and synthesizing DNA, supporting nerve and immune function, and creating new cells.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What does folic acid do?<\/h2>\n<p>Taking folic acid or folate can help prevent defects of your baby\u2019s spinal cord and brain.\u00a0 About 1\u00a0\u2013\u00a02 in every 1000 pregnancies are affected by neural tube defects and are either terminated following prenatal screening and diagnosis, or result in the birth\u00a0of individuals with fatal or severely disabling malformations.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>When should I start taking it?<\/h2>\n<p>Ideally, you should begin taking folic acid before you start trying to conceive. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that a woman trying to conceive begins a folate supplement at least a month prior to conception. This is because folate plays an incredibly important role during early development. In fact, sufficient folate is most beneficial in the first 28 days after conception\u2014which often overlaps\u00a0with the period during which a woman doesn&#8217;t yet know she&#8217;s pregnant.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How much should I take?<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Because almost 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ncbddd\/folicacid\/recommendations.html\">CDC recommends<\/a>\u00a0that all women between 15 and 45 capable of bearing children should supplement even a folate-rich diet with 400 micrograms of folic acid each day, in addition to consuming food with folate from a healthy and varied diet.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Some women may need a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4738404\/\">higher daily supplement<\/a>. Talk to your doctor if you:<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Have carried a previous infant (liveborn\u00a0or stillborn) with a neural tube defect<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Did not plan your pregnancy and were not taking supplements when it began<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Are taking medications (many medications act as folic acid antagonists, resulting in higher rates of pregnancy complications)<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Have had gastric bypass surgery<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Have a condition such as diabetes, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, or liver disease<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Have a history of alcohol overuse or smoking<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Know neural tube defects have occurred in your family (such as siblings, parents, and cousins)<br \/>\n<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>So, what\u2019s the controversy?<\/h2>\n<p>While virtually everyone agrees that folate is important, there is a controversy surrounding the synthesized version of folate. This controversy primarily relates to the difference between how dietary folate and synthetic folic acid break down in the body.\u00a0Your genetics can determine how quickly your body is able to break down folic acid.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Cells in the intestines easily transform dietary folate into a form of folate called 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF). 5-MTHF is vital for cell creation and function. Folic acid can also be transformed into 5-MTHF, but it is a two-step process requiring two different liver enzymes. Unfortunately,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24944062\">these enzymes can be overwhelmed<\/a>\u00a0by the amount of folic acid you\u2019re ingesting, slowing down the rate of transformation and leading to\u00a0unmetabolized\u00a0folic acid.\u00a0Unmetabolized\u00a0folic acid\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24091066\">has been linked<\/a>\u00a0to cancer, vascular diseases, psychiatric disorders, and the very neural tube defects we take folic acid to prevent.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>However,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/publichealthreviews.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s40985-018-0079-6\">a recent study<\/a>\u00a0found that there is no reason to set an upper limit on the amount of\u00a0folic acid taken. This study claims that the earlier idea of a higher dose of folic acid being neurotoxic was based on a flawed analysis. (Basically, the study found that neurological damage originally attributed to an excess of folic acid wasn&#8217;t actually\u00a0caused by folic acid.)<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span>So, again: it\u2019s a controversy as there are still differing opinions on this. (For a much more detailed analysis of folate versus folic acid, including the genetics that could be relevant to you, check out our post,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folate-versus-folic-acid\/\">Folate Versus Folic Acid: How to Decide Which One is Better for You<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Which foods contain folate?<\/h2>\n<p>Folate can be found in foods such as:<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Meats (especially liver)<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Peanuts<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Dried beans and legumes (kidney beans and lentils)<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Some whole grains (like enriched flour, rice, or cornmeal)<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Fortified breakfast cereals<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Citrus fruits (especially oranges and orange juice)<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Noto Sans Symbols\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Dark green, leafy vegetables (such as spinach and broccoli)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In the United States, it has been mandatory to fortify enriched grain products with folate since 1998.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Is getting it through my food enough?<\/h2>\n<p>Although eating folate-rich foods can certainly help, obtaining enough folate from diet alone is difficult. One reason for this is the instability of the vitamin compound, which may be\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/15648265080292S129\">reduced up to 70%<\/a>\u00a0during the milling or baking.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Given the importance of folate and folic acid, most physicians recommend taking a supplement to ensure the daily recommended dose is reached. (If you need more folic acid information, see our article\u00a0on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/choosing-best-prenatal-vitamins\/\">choosing the best prenatal vitamins<\/a>.)<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What are the risks of not taking folic acid or folate?<\/h2>\n<p>Adequate folate helps prevent two severe birth defects: spina bifida and anencephaly. Spina bifida is a condition in which the spinal cord is exposed. During the first 28 days after fertilization, the bones of the spinal column must close properly around the spinal cord. If they do not, the spinal cord or spinal fluid will bulge through the spine, often at the lower back, causing health issues and sometimes requiring surgery.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Anencephaly is a neural tube defect in which a baby is born without significant portions of the brain and skull. Although the baby may live for a few\u00a0hours or days after birth, the condition is fatal.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Researchers have begun studying the effects of folic acid on preventing other issues, such as congenital heart defects, cleft palate, and preterm birth.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>After a 20-year\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ncbddd\/folicacid\/research.html\">collaborative study<\/a>\u00a0from the CDC and the Peking University Health Science Center in China, researchers found that women given 400 micrograms of folic acid before and during pregnancy saw a\u00a0significant drop in the occurrence of neural tube defects.\u00a0\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0If you\u2019re trying to conceive, you\u2019ve probably already heard people talking about folate\u00a0(or the synthetic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10010,"featured_media":29190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[772,26],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.3 (Yoast SEO v18.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0 - Ava<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Folate (and its synthetic counterpart, folic acid) is a B vitamin that prevents neural tube defects\u2014you should start taking it before you try to conceive.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Folate (and its synthetic counterpart, folic acid) is a B vitamin that prevents neural tube defects\u2014you should start taking it before you try to conceive.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ava\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/avabracelet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-30T17:42:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-16T19:00:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1716\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1120\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@avawomen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@avawomen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tara Avery\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ava Women\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/avabracelet\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/avawomen\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ava-ag\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCZ1BceGFRgHo0kIZGaRWHsQ\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/avawomen\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/avawomen\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Logo_Ava_black_violet_rgb1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Logo_Ava_black_violet_rgb1.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":80,\"caption\":\"Ava Women\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/\",\"name\":\"Ava\",\"description\":\"Fertility Tracker\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg\",\"width\":1716,\"height\":1120},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/\",\"name\":\"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0 - Ava\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-30T17:42:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-12-16T19:00:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"Folate (and its synthetic counterpart, folic acid) is a B vitamin that prevents neural tube defects\u2014you should start taking it before you try to conceive.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/person\/1f564f66d5cdf38aac4c51a94df8b161\"},\"headline\":\"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-30T17:42:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-12-16T19:00:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#webpage\"},\"wordCount\":1109,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Getting Pregnant\",\"Preparing your Body\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/person\/1f564f66d5cdf38aac4c51a94df8b161\",\"name\":\"Tara Avery\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ebeb6aa060ed57687fb9e43d4bf9c9e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ebeb6aa060ed57687fb9e43d4bf9c9e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tara Avery\"},\"description\":\"Tara Avery is a freelance writer and editor currently based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. When she's not traveling the world in search of inspiration, she's writing fiction, film, and non-fiction across a variety of genres.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0 - Ava","description":"Folate (and its synthetic counterpart, folic acid) is a B vitamin that prevents neural tube defects\u2014you should start taking it before you try to conceive.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0","og_description":"Folate (and its synthetic counterpart, folic acid) is a B vitamin that prevents neural tube defects\u2014you should start taking it before you try to conceive.","og_url":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/","og_site_name":"Ava","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/avabracelet","article_published_time":"2018-11-30T17:42:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-12-16T19:00:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1716,"height":1120,"url":"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@avawomen","twitter_site":"@avawomen","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tara Avery","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#organization","name":"Ava Women","url":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/avabracelet","https:\/\/instagram.com\/avawomen\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ava-ag","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCZ1BceGFRgHo0kIZGaRWHsQ","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/avawomen\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/avawomen"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Logo_Ava_black_violet_rgb1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Logo_Ava_black_violet_rgb1.png","width":300,"height":80,"caption":"Ava Women"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#website","url":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/","name":"Ava","description":"Fertility Tracker","publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg","width":1716,"height":1120},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#webpage","url":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/","name":"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0 - Ava","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2018-11-30T17:42:00+00:00","dateModified":"2019-12-16T19:00:03+00:00","description":"Folate (and its synthetic counterpart, folic acid) is a B vitamin that prevents neural tube defects\u2014you should start taking it before you try to conceive.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"Article","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#webpage"},"author":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/person\/1f564f66d5cdf38aac4c51a94df8b161"},"headline":"Folic Acid: When Should I Start Taking It?\u00a0","datePublished":"2018-11-30T17:42:00+00:00","dateModified":"2019-12-16T19:00:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#webpage"},"wordCount":1109,"publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/folic-acid\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/avablog-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-offloaded-content\/folic_acid_.jpg","articleSection":["Getting Pregnant","Preparing your Body"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/person\/1f564f66d5cdf38aac4c51a94df8b161","name":"Tara Avery","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/fr\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ebeb6aa060ed57687fb9e43d4bf9c9e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ebeb6aa060ed57687fb9e43d4bf9c9e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tara Avery"},"description":"Tara Avery is a freelance writer and editor currently based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. When she's not traveling the world in search of inspiration, she's writing fiction, film, and non-fiction across a variety of genres."}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28883"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avawomen.com\/avaworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}