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Folate and folic acid

Share Folate and folic acid are used interchangeably.  Both folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin that is important for your body to make new cells. Folate is an essential nutrient as humans are unable to make it.  It therefore needs to be sourced from the diet or from supplements. 

Folate occurs naturally in food whereas folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin.

Excellent Food Sources of Folate:

•     Asparagus;
•     bran flakes;
•     broccoli;
•     Brussels sprouts;
•     chick peas;
•     dried beans;
•     lentils;
•     spinach and other green leafy vegetables;
•     fortified cereals;
•     fortified breads;
•     eggs;
•     liver.

Very good food sources of folate include:

•     cabbage;
•     cauliflower;
•     leeks;
•     oranges;
•     orange juice;
•     parsley;
•     peas;
•     wheat germ;
•     wholegrain bread.

 Reasonable Sources of Folate:

•     hazelnuts;
•     vegemite;
•     parsnips;
•     potato;
•     salmon;
•     strawberries;
•     tomato;
•     peanuts;
•     walnuts.

Benefits of Folate of Folic Acid

•     Folate or Folic Acid helps support adrenal function;
•     Helps maintain a healthy nervous system;
•     Plays a necessary role in key metabolic processes;
•     Supports a healthy heart by helping to reduce blood levels of homocysteine;
•     Protective against some cancers;
•     Important for pregnant woman as it supports the healthy growth and development of the foetus.

Food Processing

Water soluble vitamins can frequently be removed from their food source during processing. It is therefore important to eat fresh as much as possible.

How can you Get Folate into your Diet?

A great way to increase your folate is by means of a smoothie.  This gives you the chance to combine and toss all sorts of foods that tastes good and will provide you with folate.  You can use all, 2 or more of the following:

•     Mango (pitted)
•     Romain Lettuce (2 cups)
•     Collard Greens (2 cups)
•     Spinach (2 cups)
•     Kale (2 cups)
•     Brocolli (1 cup)
•     Beets (1/2 cup)
•     Orange (1 orange)
•     Avocado (1/4 avocado)
•     Dandelion Greens (2 cups)

For added sweetness, you can add banana, apple, peachShare
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