Healthy Eating: FOLATE
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Healthy Eating: FOLATE

   

Healthy Eating: FOLATE1

Linda B. Bobroff2

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Why is folate important?

Folate is one of the B vitamins. Our bodies use folate to build proteins and to make new cells. Folate is especially important for women of childbearing age, pregnant and nursing women, growing children and older people.

If you don't get enough folate, you could develop anemia. You also could be at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, or memory problems.

How much folate do I need?

Older adults need 400 micrograms (µg) of folate a day.

Good Sources of Folate

FOOD


 FOLATE

(µg)
Spinach, cooked, ½ cup

130
Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup

115
Fortified cereal, 1 serving

100 - 400
Peanuts, dry roasted, ½ cup

80
Orange juice, 1 cup

75
Romaine, shredded, 1 cup

75

What foods contain folate?

If you do not get enough folate from the foods you eat, you may need to take a supplement. Supplements contain a form of the vitamin called folic acid.

Footnotes

1. This publication is FCS8560, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. This leaflet was developed with funding from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, in partnership with state, county and local agencies. Publication date: March 2000. Revised: February 2006. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, professor, Foods and Nutrition, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0310. Leaflet design by Paulina Wittkowsky, MS, RD, formerly with the Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.


Copyright Information

This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.