You can prevent or reverse folic acid deficiency anemia by eating a diet that includes foods high in folic acid.
Some foods that provide folic acid:
| Food | Serving size | Folic acid (folate) |
|---|---|---|
|
Fortified breakfast cereal |
3/4 cup |
400 ug (0.4 mg) |
|
Liver |
3 oz |
185 ug (0.2 mg) |
|
Avocado |
1/2 cup |
45 ug |
|
Orange juice |
3/4 cup |
35 ug |
|
Asparagus, boiled |
4 spears |
85 ug (0.1 mg) |
|
Spinach, cooked |
1/2 cup |
100 ug (0.1 mg) |
|
Spinach, raw |
1 cup |
60 ug (0.1 mg) |
|
Green peas, boiled |
1/2 cup |
50 ug (0.1 mg) |
|
Wheat germ |
2 Tbsp |
40 ug |
|
Oranges |
1 small |
30 ug |
|
Broccoli, cooked |
1/2 cup |
50 ug (0.1 mg) |
|
Broccoli, raw |
2 spears, 5 in. (12.7 cm) long |
45 ug |
Note: Cooking vegetables often makes the vegetable smaller. A cup of cooked vegetable weighs more than a cup of raw vegetable, so the amount of folic acid in each will be different.
Other folic acid food facts
- Many breakfast cereals and breads are fortified with folic acid. Read labels to see if the amount of folic acid meets your daily requirement.
- Eat vegetables raw or lightly steamed. Cooking may destroy some of the folic acid found in food.
- Drinking orange juice or other juices high in vitamin C increases the amount of folic acid your body absorbs from food.
Credits
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Denele Ivins |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology |
| Last Updated | December 23, 2008 |
Author:Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Last Updated: 12/23/2008
