Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells. It is a manmade form of foliate and is found naturally in some foods such as leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas, and nuts, and enriched breads, cereals and other grain products.
The body does not use the natural form of folic acid as easily as the manmade form an we cannot be sure that eating foods that contain foliate would have the same benefits as consuming folic acid. Plus, despite eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, you might not get all the nutrients you need every day from food alone. In the United states most women who eat foods enriched with folic acid still do not get all they need. Therefore, doctors recommend that you take a daily vitamin that contains 400 to 800 mcg (micrograms or 0.4 to 0.8 milligrams) of folic acid, especially if you are a woman who is able to get pregnant as it can reduce the risk of neurological birth defects.
Folic acid is very important. For women, as stated above, it can reduce the risk of their child having birth defects if taken at least one month before pregnancy and during pregnancy. It also helps keep blood healthy by preventing anemia, and, experts also believe that it plays a role in heart health and preventing cell changes that may lead to cancer. It is important that you get at least 400 mcg of folic acid every day for good health.
Sources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/folicacid.html
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/folic-acid.html