Prenatal vitamins and folic acid...

[nori]

We have not really PLANNED on having kids, but I've heard that it's a good idea to start taking prenatal multi-vitamins or folic acid even before you get pregnant. I went to the store and saw those labels, and realized most of them showed 100% of daily requirement amount of vitamin.

What would happen if I took too much vitamin or folic acid? I mean, you're getting them from your daily meal (ideally..), is there any bad effect taking too much of those?

I got folic acid tablets and will start taking it, just in case.

[Grace]

The general guideline is that pregnant women need a MINIMUM of 400 mg of folic acid a day, and most ob/gyn doctors prescribe a prenatal that has 800 mg in it. I think as long as you don't go over 800 in a supplement (remember, if you're eating a good diet, you'll get some from there too - and be especially careful of breakfast cereal - many are loaded up with lots of folic acid too), you should be covered without worry of overdose.

[nori]

Thanks, Grace!

I think most of supplements for pregnant women contain 100 or 200 % of daily requirement. ( I think 200% means 800 mg, which is needed for pregnant women?)

My diet is pretty much balanced, so I might getting more than 800mg folic acid some days, as long as I'm taking supplements. Do you know what'd happen if I overdose it?

[MrsReber]

You might want to talk to you ob/gyn about it. Mine didn't prescribe prenatals when I came off the pill so I went to a nutrion store (GNC) and asked them. They were extremely helpful and recommeded I take 400mg of folic acid since I was already taking a multi-vitamin and most of those contain 400mg so I was getting a total of 800mg. As Grace mentioned, 800mg is the recommended amount for pregnant women. I ate plenty of fresh spinach on top of that for extra folic acid. I wouldn't worry about overdosing. The folic acid prevents neural tube defects in babies. If you can't accurately measure the amount you are getting in your diet, I'd stick to the recommended 800mg daily since there will be no question that you're getting enough. Remember, there are other factors that affect the absorption of folic acid from food sources. The best way to make sure you get enough is to supplement. But still, you may want to double check with your doctor. They may even prescribe prenatals for you at this point. Good luck!

[brykate]

Hi nori.
I heard the same advice about taking supplements before getting pregnant.
So I'd been taking an over the counter prenatal vitamin daily for about 5 or 6 years before I ever conceived. The over the counter bottles can suggest 4 or so pills daily but I just took 1 assuming it to be a good thing. MY ob says it was.
I consider it my "daily vitamin" because why wouldn't a non-pregnant woman benefit from the same thing?? It's not just a good thing when we're pregnant, eh? I still take 1 everyday now - postnatal :)

I don't know, but I've not heard of being able to overdose. Our bodies can only absorb and store so much of certain kinds.
But I suppose it's worth asking your doctor about so that you know.

-Katie

[erinl]

My doc told me to keep taking my normal multi while ttc. He didn't even prescribe the pre-natal until my first appt. Pre-natal's have so much iron in them that they can upset the non-pg digestive system.

[JillC]

Given the amounts of folic acid ya'll are talking about, there's no reason to worry about overdosing. Actually, the recommendations from Centers for Disease Control, National Institute of Medicine, etc. are for a vitamin containing 400mcg of folic acid daily in addition to a healthy diet. So, when the 400 mcg supplement recommendation was made, they took into consideration the amount you get as part of a healthy diet. Actually, if a woman has had a previous pregnancy with a neural tube defect, the recommendation is 4000 mcg, in addition to a healthy diet.
Take those multivitamins, ladies. Whether you're trying to conceive or not!
:)
Jill

[nori]

The folic acid tablet I got says it contains 800mg. Is it too much to take for me now, since I'm not pregnant now?

And is there any difference between folic acid and folate? Are they same?

Thanks for advices, everyone!

[JillC]

Folic acid and folate are both forms of the same B vitamin. Folate is found naturally in foods and folic acid is the synthetic form. This is one situation where synthetic is better. Folic acid is absorbed by the body twice as easily as folate. This is why the recommendations are for 400 mcg of folic acid, rather than food folate.
Nori, 800 mcg in a multivitamin is not too much. Unless you've had a previous pregnancy with a birth defect, there is no need to take more than 1000 mcg/day, though.
I often give talks to health care providers on this subject. I'm surprised at how few doctors recommend folic acid to their non-pregnant patients--despite all of the recommendations from national organizations that all women capable of having children should take this vitamin daily in order to help prevent certain birth defects when they do become pregnant.
If you'd like more info, check out:
March of Dimes folic acid webpage http://www.modimes.org/Programs2/FolicAcid/Default.htm
and
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) folic acid FAQ's
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/folicfaqs.htm
p.s. studies are showing that folic acid also plays a role in preventing heart disease, strokes and certain cancers, so even if you're not a woman of childbearing age, you should still take a multivitamin with folic acid

[nori]

Jill, you opened up my eyes! So 800mg (plus whatever I'm taking from my meals) won't be too much even for me. I was just worried that taking it too much might harm my health somehow. (I've heard too much calcium intake is not good for you, etc...)

I'll keep taking that folic acid tablet daily. And the March of Dimes website was helpful! I'll check it out occationaly to catch up some information.