Folate is an essential vitamin that is important for the well being of an individual. Apart from playing an important role in the production and maintenance of new cells, it also plays a pivotal role in various cell metabolism activities and in preventing anemia.
Deriving its name from folium, or leaf, folate is found in abundance in leafy green vegetables like spinach and turnip greens. Other sources of folate include asparagus, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, and collard greens. Broccoli, cauliflower, lentils, green peas, and beets are also some remarkable natural sources of folate.
Dietary sources of folate not only extend to greens but also to non-green natural foods such as squash, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and string beans. Another surprising but excellent food source of folate happens to be Papaya.
Departmental store products such as cereals are also substantially good food sources of folate, containing 400 mcg of Folate alone. Citrus fruits and their juices have also been reported to be excellent sources of folate.
Certain staple food items such as breads, flours, and cornmeal have folic acid present in them. These are undoubtedly good dietary sources of folate. Pasta and certain strains of white rice are again considered to be among average and standard food sources of folate.
One of the good animal food sources of folate is cooked and braised beef liver/calf liver. Eggs, whole, raw, or fresh are considered average yet good sources of folate in the diet.
Some of the other food sources of folate are avocado, raw carrots, grape fruit, raw peanuts, ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, and strawberries.
It must, however, be noted that according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1000 mcg of folic acid a day may lead to damage in the nervous system of individuals who lack the threshold level of vitamin B12 in their bodies. This includes people who are 50 plus and vegetarians.
© Newsmax. All rights reserved.