The sixth of the b vitamins essential to our diet. Vitamin B9 is a water-soluble vitamin that is also known as folic acid and it acts as a coenzyme in the formation of heme and nucleotides. It is very important to get enough of this in our diets everyday and a good way to make sure we do is to follow the recommended daily intake.

The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin B9 for each age:

Infants

• 0-6 months: 65 µg/day
• 7-12 months: 85 µg/day

Children/Adults

• 1-3 years: 150 µg/day
• 4-8 years: 200 µg/day
• 9-13 years: 300 µg/day
• 14+ years: 400 µg/day

During Pregnancy

• 14+ years: 600 µg/day

During Lactation

• 14+ years: 500 µg/day

Vitamin B9 Toxicity

Intaking excessive amounts of vitamin B9 is not good for the body and can cause damage in some circumstances. Excessive vitamin B9 can cause general toxicity to the body as well as higher levels of carcinogenesis and possible unfavorable reproductive and development effects.

The upper limit of vitamin B9:

Infants

• 0-12 months: not established as vitamin should only be coming from milk, formula, and food

Children/Teens

• 1-3 years: 300 µg/day
• 4-8 years: 400 µg/day
• 9-13 years: 600 µg/day
• 14-18 years: 800 µg/day

Adults

• 19+ years: 1,000 µg/day

During Pregnancy and Lactatin

• 14-18 years: 800 µg/day
• 19+ years: 1,000 µg/day

Vitamin B9 Deficiency

A deficiency of vitamin B9 can be detrimental to your health and wellness. If you do believe you may be deficient, a symptom of deficiency includes anemia.

Foods Containing Vitamin B9

It is best to consume your vitamin intake through natural food sources and you can also get help from high quality supplements such as a multivitamin.

Here is a list of foods and their Daily Values of vitamin B9.

Meat

• Beef liver (braised, 3 oz) – 54% DV
• Ground beef (85% lean, cooked, 3 oz) – 2% DV
• Chicken breast (roasted, 3 oz) – 1% DV

Fish/Seafood

• Crab (Dungeness, 3 oz) – 9% DV
• Halibut (cooked, 3 oz) – 3% DV

Vegetables

• Spinach (boiled, 1/2 cup) – 33% DV
• Black-eyed peas (boiled, 1/2 cup) – 26% DV
• Asparagus (boiled, 4 spears) – 22% DV
• Brussels sprouts (frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup) – 20% DV
• Lettuce (romaine, shredded, 1 cup) – 16% DV
• Spinach (raw, 1 cup) – 15% DV
• Broccoli (chopped, frozen, cooked, 1/2 cup) – 13% DV
• Mustard greens (chopped, frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup) – 13% DV
• Green peas (frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup) – 12% DV
• Turnip greens (frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup) – 8% DV

Grains/Beans/Nuts

• White rice (medium-grain, cooked, 1/2 cup) – 22% DV
• Kidney beans (canned, 1/2 cup) – 12% DV
• Peanuts (dry roasted, 1 oz) – 7% DV

Fruits

• Avocado (raw, sliced, 1/2 cup) – 15% DV
• Orange juice (3/4 cup) – 9% DV
• Orange (fresh, 1 small) – 7% DV
• Papaya (raw, cubed, 1/2 cup) – 7% DV
• Banana (1 medium) – 6% DV
• Cantaloupe (raw, cubed, 1/2 cup) – 4% DV

Other

• Egg (whole, hard-boiled, 1 large) – 6% DV

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To learn more in depth you can check out these websites for more information or even visit Dr.Brooke’s website!

• Folic Acid: Benefits, Foods, Deficiency, and More (healthline.com)
• Folate | Nutrient Reference Values (nrv.gov.au)
• Folate – Health Professional Fact Sheet (nih.gov)

For more personalized information check out:

• The Mind Body Reset 
• If you’d like to receive 15% off all of your supplements, you can check out and sign up for Dr.Brooke’s online dispensary at us.fullscript.com/welcome/drbrookestuart 

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