Folic acid (vitamin B9) rich foods
Folic acid or folate (Vitamin B9) is an essential water-soluble nutrient. Folate occurs naturally in foods, while folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin.
The human body needs folate to synthesize DNA, repair DNA, and methylate DNA as well as to act as a cofactor in many biological processes.
It is especially important in aiding rapid cell division and growth, such as in infancy and pregnancy. Children and adults require folic acid to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anemia.
Pregnant women should take extra folate. Pregnant women have an increased need for folic acid, which supports the growth of the placenta and fetus, and helps to prevent several types of birth defects.
Pregnant women who don’t consume enough folate are also more likely to have babies who have low birth weight or are premature. More on folic acid here.
The recommended daily intake is as follows: Adults: 400 micrograms, Pregnant women: 600 micrograms, and Breastfeeding women: 500 micrograms.
Below is a list of foods having the highest content of folate in micrograms (μg) per 100 grams of the food. The list also includes the number of kilocalories (kcal) and the folate content in micrograms (μg) per kcal, and the list is sorted with respect to the latter with the highest values at the top.
As you can see there are many foods having a high folate content per kcal. So if you are lacking in this vitamin, you could easily correct the deficiency by eating some of these foods.
The list is made using ECstep’s Personal Nutrition Data Program and includes more than 100 of the folate richest foods. Commercial brand products are not included in this list.