Folic Acid Rich Foods List

Folic acid is the artificial form of an essential nutrient that is needed in making new cells in the body.

It is one of the B vitamins, making it water-soluble. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and the left over amounts are secreted through sweat and urine. Since folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, the body needs continuous supply of it on a regular basis. This vitamin, B9, aids the body in protection from certain conditions such as heart diseases, gout, gingivitis, depression, insomnia and is also very helpful for pregnant women.

One of the easiest ways to keep folic acid in the body is through the foods that an individual eats on a daily basis; these can be found on the folic acid rich foods list given below.

Folic acid or vitamin B9 is the most complex and largest vitamin currently known to man. Deficiency of vitamin B9 can lead certain conditions such as mania, depression, fatigue and anemia and insufficient amount of this vitamin for a long period of time can permanently damage the central nervous system and to the brain.

Folic acid is the form found in supplements, while folate is used in reference to the the forms found naturally in the body and foods.

Folic Acid Deficiency Symptoms

Some of the folic acid deficiency symptoms include the following:

  1. No appetite
  2. Intestinal and stomach problems such as constipation and diarrhea
  3. Smooth, red and painful tongue
  4. Fatigue and tiredness
  5. Anemia
  6. Insomnia
  7. Mental fatigue
  8. Poor memory
  9. Prematurely graying hair
  10. Cracked lips

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Folate

AGES FOLATE (µg/day)
Infants 0 to 6 month 65 AI
Infants 7 to 12 months 80 AI
Children 1 to 3 years 150
Children 4 to 8 years 200
Children 9 to 13 years 300
Adolescence 400
Adults 19 years and older 400
Pregnant women 600
Nursing women 500

 Folic Acid Rich Food List

The below is a mixture of folate and fortified folic acid rich foods list.

FOODS

SERVINGS

AMOUNT (mcg)

Almond nuts ½ cup 50
Apple 1 medium 10
Asparagus spears (boiled) 4 medium 85
Avocado, raw ½ cup 45
Banana 1 medium 20
Bread, White (Fortified) 1 Slice 25
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 50
Cashew nuts ½ cup 50
Cereals (fortified 100% DV) ¾ cup 400
Cereals (fortified 25% DV) ¾ cup 100
Cheddar cheese 75 grams 25
Endive lettuce ½ cup 50
Egg Noodles (Fortified) ½ cup 50
Grapefruit ½ cup 25
Lentils, cooked ½ cup 179
Onion, raw 1 small 25
Parsnip, cooked ½ cup 50
Pasta, cooked 1 cup 60
Raspberries ½ cup 25
Rice, cooked (fortified) 1 cup 60
Salmon, cooked 100 grams 10
Soy flour ¼ cup 100
Spinach, raw ½ cup 131
Sweet potato, cooked ½ cup 25
Tofu ½ cup 50
Tomato 1 small 10
Turnip, cooked ½ cup 30
Walnuts ½ cup 50
Wheat germ 2 tablespoons 40

Folic Acid rich foods list references and Further Reading

LPI; Wikipedia: Ohio State University: NIH; University of Nebraska.