Prenatal care is essential for the health of expectant mothers and newborns alike. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women's Health notes that babies of mothers who don't get sufficient prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care. 

The National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development notes that prenatal care also improves the odds of a healthy pregnancy for mom. This care comes in many forms including regular checkups with one's doctor, avoiding activities and substances that can do harm such as smoking or drinking, and being sure to maintain plenty of nutrients in one's diet. 

Among the most important nutrients doctors constantly recommend during pregnancy is folate in the form of folic acid. 

What is folate?

Folate is a water-soluble nutrient the body needs to work properly. Dr. Joel Mason, director of the vitamins & carcinogenesis team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, says its benefits include improved functioning of one's digestive system and helping to prevent the development of common cancers such as colon cancer. Folate is also helpful in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, infertility, stroke, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

It helps with these things, in part, because folate is essential in the formation of DNA and RNA – a nucleic acid present in all living cells. In these roles, "folate is especially important in times of rapid cell growth, particularly during pregnancy," says Adam Dengler, a registered dietitian from Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition. Because of the important function folate plays in the healthy growth of the baby's brain and spinal cord especially, "it's crucial in preventing birth defects," he says. 

Something that makes folate a unique nutrient is that its synthetic supplement form, folic acid, is actually better absorbed than the folate that occurs naturally in food sources, per Harvard Medical School. That's why folic acid is the form most commonly recommended for pregnant women. 

Is folate the same as vitamin B12?

Despite being an essential nutrient in the B family of vitamins, folate is not vitamin B12. Instead, "folate is synonymous with vitamin B9," explains Mason. Different B vitamins perform different functions, "but folate works in conjunction with vitamins B2, B6 and B12 in particular to perform some of their health functions," he says. 

For example, Dengler notes that folate's interaction with vitamin B12 "helps turn food into energy and keeps our skin and nervous system healthy."

One of the most important functions of folate as a B vitamin is its prevention of anemia. Anemia is a condition that occurs when the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells – cells that carry oxygen to organs and tissues. "Fatigue, shortness of breath and weakness can be signs of anemia," says Dengler. 

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What foods have folate? 

To prevent such issues, and to ensure optimal prenatal and general health, it's important to include folate-rich foods in one's diet. Folate is present in many foods such as asparagus, brussel sprouts, avocado, black-eyed peas, kidney beans and broccoli, "but it's especially high in dark green vegetables like spinach," says Mason. 

In addition to consuming folate-rich foods, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends for all women of reproductive age to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. This requirement can be met in pill or injection form, but Dengler says many foods have been fortified with the nutrient to further help. "Bread, rice, flour, cereals and pasta are often enriched with folic acid," he says.

Good question:What is vitamin B12 good for and how often should you take it?