Folic Acid is most commonly used by women who are pregnant or might become pregnant to prevent miscarriage and “neural tube defects,” birth defects such as spina bifida that occur when the fetus’s spine and back do not close during development.

Folic acid is also used for preventing and treating low blood levels of folate (folate deficiency), as well as its complications, including “tired blood” (anemia) and the inability of the bowel to absorb nutrients properly. Folic acid is also used for other conditions commonly associated with folate deficiency, including ulcerative colitis, liver disease, alcoholism, and kidney dialysis.

It is suggested that pregnant (or those trying to become pregnant) should be absorbing 400mcg of folic acid a day, through either their nutrition or via a supplement.