Folic acid is one the components of vitamin B complex, which is also known as vitamin B9. WHO (World Health Organization) recommends regular intake of folic acid supplementation for all pregnant women in the first trimester to avoid congenital fetal malformations such as; cleft palate, cleft lip, polycystic kidney, down syndrome, atrial and ventricular septal defects.

Foods rich in folic acid include; spinach, lettuce, peas, cabbage, peppers, orange, apple, strawberry, lentils, dairy products, liver and meat.

Unfortunately, folic acid is water soluble vitamin, so it's perishable and loses its nutritional value by storing or being exposed to heat during cooking. To get benefit from folic acid, it's advised to avoid over-cooking the folic acid-containing food; steamed cooking is the best option.

Folic acid deficiency is very common; this is due to:

1. Low dietary intake (the most common cause).
2. Folic acid can't be stored in our bodies, so you should provide your body with folic acid continuously.
3. Some medical conditions could be responsible for folic acid deficiency such as; thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, acute and chronic renal failure.
4. Certain drugs could interfere with absorption of folic acid leading to its deficiency, these drugs include; methotrexate, anti-epileptic drugs and oral contraceptive pills.

Mild folic acid deficiency is usually asymptomatic, but severe deficiency leads to folate-deficiency anemia. In these cases folic acid supplementation is the main therapeutic measure in the management strategy.