Natural Folic Acid Sources

Folic acid is part of the vitamin-B complex and it’s a very important nutrient for the body and the brain in particular. Folic acid is highly significant for the pregnant women as it feeds the baby and it helps strengthen the immune system for both the mom and the little baby to come. There are numerous supplements containing folate or folic acid and they can help you meet the vitamin’s daily requirements, but the best choice is always the natural one. Thus, in order to fully benefit from the folic acid properties, you must take it from natural sources such as the ones described below.

Seeds and Nuts

These two products are rich in folic acid and they are also extremely tasty. So, they make a great and healthy snack. Consume peanuts and almonds on a regular basis and when it comes to seeds, we recommend you sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or flax seeds. Consume them raw so as to benefit from their properties.

Squash

If you have been diagnosed with folic acid deficiency, then squash can come to your rescue. You can choose whatever type of squash you want, because they are all healthy and besides folic acid they contain a wide array of other vitamins and minerals.

Green Leafy Vegetables

For those who don’t know, the words “folate” and “folic acid” originate from the term “foliage” that means “leaves”. This makes reference to the leafy vegetables such as lettuce, kale or spinach. You can consume these veggies as you wish and like. Boil them, cook them or eat them raw and you will still get your necessary requirement of folic acid. Other vegetables that you can try are turnip greens, collard greens or mustard greens.

Citrus Fruits

We all know that citrus fruits are extremely rich in vitamin C, but they also contain large amounts of folic acid. Consume cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries, papaya, bananas or grapefruits on a regular basis and you can say good-bye to your folic acid deficiency.

Avocado

This is another great natural source of folic acid. You should include this fruit in your daily diet and use it to prepare salads or side dishes with it. One cup of ripe avocado can offer you 90 mcg of folic acid, meaning 22% of your daily requirement.

Broccoli

Remember when you were a child and hated broccoli and vegetables in general? Well, maybe it’s time to forget those times and start consuming broccoli on a regular basis as it contains large amounts of folic acid. One cup of broccoli includes 104 mcg of folic acid.

Corn

This vegetable can be found in any supermarket and local store, so you have no excuse in not buying and consuming it. Eat it boiled or cooked and you will receive 20% of the folic acid daily requirement.

Legumes

When we say legumes, we refer to peas (split peas, green peas etc.), beans (green beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, navy beans, lima beans, pinto beans and so on) and lentils. They are rich in folic acid and they must not miss from your diet. You can eat them canned, dried ot cooked.