Love Your Body. Love Yourself.

Veggies, Vitamins, and Grains

Good Health. Looks Good, Feels Good

How you treat your body is an expression of love for yourself. So take a good look at what you're eating. Experts agree getting plenty of the B-vitamin folic acid keeps more than the doctor away. Consuming 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid can help lower the risk of heart attacks, strokes and certain kinds of cancer.

It's especially important for women 14-44 years old to take folic acid every day. Folic Acid may dramatically lower the risk of birth defects involving a baby's brain and spinal cord. So for good health now and in the future, take a multivitamin with folic acid every day. Start today!

Folic Acid. You Need It Every Day

You want to look and feel your best, don't you? The folic acid found in multivitamins works best for good health. Folic acid is also called folate and folacin.

Remember, too, that eating healthy foods is another smart - and inexpensive - way to look and feel great! Dark green leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas, whole grains, and fruits are high in folate. And, they keep you looking and feeling good.

The easiest way to consume the right amount of folic acid is to take a multivitamin that has 400 mcg of folic acid every day.

You're Worth It

Good health looks good. More importantly, good health feels good. So love your body by eating right. And be sure to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. This simple step will put you on the road to looking and feeling your best.

How To Read This Label

Food labels make it easy to find foods that have folic acid. The labels list what you get in that food compared with what you need every day. Vitamins like folic acid are listed on the bottom half of the label. Use the sample label "Nutrition Facts" to learn how to find the amount of folic acid.

1. Find where folic acid is listed. Read across to find the % Daily Value (DV). The sample says 25%.
2. Use this chart to see how much folic acid is in your foods.

Aim to get 100 % DV, or 400 mcg. every day!

Keep This Card In Your Purse As A Reminder Of How To Get Enough Folic Acid Every Day!

• Take one multivitamin each day that lists 400 mcg (or 0.4 mg) of folic acid or folate on the label.
• Connect taking your vitamin with a daily activity, such as brushing your teeth, so you do it every day.
• Generic vitamins work the same as name brands, and they are usually cheaper.
• If it's hard to swallow a multivitamin, get a chewable one that lists 400 mcg of folic acid.
• Talk to your health care provider, pharmacist or nutritionist if you need more help.

Folic Acid in Foods

Foods are fortified when they have extra folic acid added. Check labels for the amounts. Some fortified foods are:

• Bread & Rolls
• Breakfast cereals
• Crackers
• Macaroni
• Rice
• Spaghetti

Other foods high in folate include:

• Black beans
• Blackeye peas
• Broccoli
• Mustard greens
• Orange juice
• Peanuts
• Pinto beans
• Refried beans
• Spinach
• Split peas
• Sunflower seeds
• Turnip greens

For more information on folic acid, call the NC Family Health Resource Line at 1-800-367-2229 or visit www.getfolic.com

Multivitamins - Take Them For Life

NC Healthy Start Foundation

First Step

March of Dimes

Department of Health and Human Services

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