What is Folic Acid and why should my spouse take it?
Folic acid is a B vitamin, which helps the body make healthy new cells. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, all women need folic acid. When a woman has enough folic acid before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby’s brain or spine.
Be sure your spouse gets enough folic acid every day. She should start before she gets pregnant. Folic acid is needed during the first few weeks, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. And half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are not planned. That is why it’s so important to start taking folic acid each day, even when she is not planning to get pregnant.
Folic acid might also have other benefits for men and women of any age. Some studies show that folic acid might help prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.