Folic acid in pregnancy: 400 µg, from when
Futures Nutrition Editorial Team · 12 August 2026
Folic acid in pregnancy: 400 µg, from when
The short answer: 400 µg folic acid a day as a preparation, in addition to a folate-rich diet — and at the latest four weeks before the beginning of pregnancy, continued through the first third of the pregnancy. That is what the German Nutrition Society (DGE) says, and in substance it is also what the conditions of the authorised claim say: at least one month before and up to three months after conception.
This is the point at which most purchases come too late. Anyone who buys the pack only once the test is positive already has the greater part of the relevant period behind them. That is no cause for alarm — it is the reason why the recommendation is not addressed to "pregnant women" but to women who want to become pregnant or could become pregnant.
Why the moment lies before the test
In the first four weeks of pregnancy the neural tube closes — the structure from which the brain and spinal cord later develop. These four weeks are counted from conception, and for many women it is within them that the pregnancy is noticed at all: a test responds at the earliest around the time of the missed period, and by then some two weeks have passed since conception.
On top of that, folate status does not change overnight. This is why both recommendations include a lead time: the DGE says "at the latest four weeks before the beginning of pregnancy", Regulation (EU) No 1135/2014 says "at least one month before" conception. A preparation that begins on the day of the positive test no longer meets this condition — even if it is then correctly continued.
| Point in time | What happens in this phase | What that means for taking it |
|---|---|---|
| from 4 weeks before conception | building up folate status | this is where intake begins |
| conception (day 0) | — | intake is already running |
| week 1–4 after conception | the neural tube closes | intake continues without interruption |
| from about week 2–3 after conception | a test may turn positive | for a start, this is late |
| end of the 1st trimester | — | end of the recommended period |
In practice this means: taking it belongs at the beginning of the trying-to-conceive phase, not at its end. Anyone who leaves the question open for herself — "might be, might not" — is likewise meant by the recommendation. The DGE formulates it expressly for women who want to become pregnant "or could".
The authorised claims — word for word
On folic acid and pregnancy there are two authorised claims in the EU, and they say different things.
The first comes from Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 and may be used for folate in general:
Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.
The second is a reduction of disease risk claim and was authorised separately by Regulation (EU) No 1135/2014. Its wording is laid down:
Supplemental folic acid intake increases maternal folate status. Low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing foetus.
To this second claim the regulation attaches conditions that explain the rest of this article: it may be used only for food supplements containing at least 400 µg folic acid per daily dose. And the consumer must be informed that women of childbearing age are the target group and that the beneficial effect is obtained with a supplemental intake of 400 µg folic acid daily over a period of at least one month before and up to three months after conception.
Taken together, this makes for an unusually precise specification: amount, target group and time window are set out in the legal text. For most nutrients all that stands there is "contributes to".
400 µg from the tin are not 400 µg from the salad
The second point at which shopping gets stuck: folate and folic acid are given in the same unit, but they are not the same thing. Folate is the umbrella term for the naturally occurring forms in foods, folic acid (pteroylmonoglutamic acid) the synthetic form in preparations and fortified products. Folic acid is absorbed considerably better — which is why the figures are converted into folate equivalents (FE). Which compounds are authorised in the EU and how they differ is set out in Folic acid or folate: where the difference lies.
The DGE calculates as follows: 1 µg folate equivalent corresponds to 0.5 µg synthetic folic acid taken on an empty stomach, or 0.6 µg taken together with a meal. For food supplements the BfR uses the factor 1.7 in the other direction — 400 µg folic acid therefore correspond to roughly 680 µg folate equivalents.
Two things follow from this. First: the reference value for pregnant women of 550 µg folate equivalents and the additional 400 µg folic acid are two different quantities that cannot be subtracted from one another. Second: the 400 µg from the preparation are worth more, in dietary arithmetic, than the same figure on a vegetable table. Good natural sources are expressly named by the BfR — green vegetables, pulses and wholegrain products, citrus fruits, egg yolk and liver — but in this one time window they do not replace supplementation, and that is precisely why it appears in the recommendations. How much these sources actually deliver, and how much of it is lost in cooking, is set out in Folate in foods.
The figures side by side
| Reference | Amount |
|---|---|
| Nutrient reference value (NRV) on the label | 200 µg folic acid |
| DGE reference value, adolescents and adults | 300 µg folate equivalents |
| DGE reference value, pregnant women | 550 µg folate equivalents |
| DGE reference value, breastfeeding women | 450 µg folate equivalents |
| Additionally when trying to conceive (DGE) | 400 µg folic acid as a preparation |
| Condition of the authorised claim (Reg. (EU) No 1135/2014) | at least 400 µg folic acid per daily dose |
| BfR proposed maximum, food supplements in general | 200 µg per recommended daily portion |
| BfR proposed maximum, products for NTD risk reduction | 400 µg per recommended daily portion |
| Upper limit (UL), adults incl. pregnant women (EFSA 2023) | 1,000 µg/day, for synthetic intake only |
Two rows of this deserve an explanation.
The BfR proposal appears twice in the table. In its opinion 009/2024 the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommends, for folic acid in food supplements generally, a maximum level of 200 µg per recommended daily portion — but expressly continues to regard supplementation with 400 µg as the most suitable measure for women of childbearing age and for pregnant women in the first trimester. For this product group it therefore proposes 400 µg and requires for it "clear labelling and measures for targeted communication". The apparent contradiction is none: the 200 µg apply to the general market, the 400 µg to a clearly delimited purpose.
The upper limit applies only to synthetic intake. In 2023 the EFSA confirmed the value of 1,000 µg per day for adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women; it refers to folic acid and the authorised 5-MTHF salts together, not to folate from foods. A high intake of naturally occurring folates is, according to the DGE's current knowledge, not considered harmful. Why this limit exists at all, and what the matter is with unmetabolised folic acid, is set out in Folic acid: too much of a good thing.
What counts on the label
On a pack of folic acid three pieces of information are decisive: the amount per daily dose (not per 100 g), the percentage of the nutrient reference value, and the form used. If it says "pteroylmonoglutamic acid", that is simply the chemical name of folic acid — not an additive and not a different substance.
When looking at the strength it is worth doing the arithmetic. Folic acid 1,000 µg delivers, per tablet, two and a half times the amount the recommendation is about, and thus sits exactly on the upper limit for adults. The condition of the authorised claim — at least 400 µg per daily dose — is met with that; anyone who wants to hit the 400 µg as precisely as possible should take this into account when buying and, in case of doubt, choose a more suitable strength from the folic acid category. A second point that belongs with high amounts of folic acid is vitamin B12 status: plenty of folic acid can make the most conspicuous trace of a B12 deficiency disappear from the blood count, while the neurological side carries on. Why that is so is set out in detail in Vitamin B12 and folic acid: why the gap gets hidden — and anyone taking both in parallel will find the common strength for it in Vitamin B12 1,000 µg.
When the pregnancy already exists
The most frequent case in practice is the one the recommendation was not written for: the pregnancy is there, folic acid has not yet been started. The reference value of 550 µg folate equivalents per day then continues to apply, and supplementation in the first third of the pregnancy remains part of the recommendation — the period is simply no longer covered in full.
As far as amount and form in this situation are concerned, the attending medical practice is the right point of contact — particularly where a combination preparation or a higher dosage is already involved. Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and varied diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Frequently asked questions
Is a multivitamin with 200 µg folic acid enough? Not for the authorised claim: it is tied to at least 400 µg per daily dose. A preparation with 200 µg covers 100 % of the nutrient reference value, but not the additional 400 µg that the DGE and the regulation speak of.
Does it have to be folic acid, or will 5-MTHF do? The DGE names "400 µg synthetic folic acid or equivalent doses of other folates". In the EU, besides folic acid, calcium L-methylfolate as well as 5-MTHF glucosamine and sodium salt are authorised; the BfR points out that the amounts then have to be adjusted using the EFSA conversion factors. The wording of the claim from Regulation (EU) No 1135/2014, however, expressly names folic acid.
How long to continue after the birth? The period named in the regulation ends three months after conception, the DGE recommendation with the first third of the pregnancy. For breastfeeding women the separate reference value of 450 µg folate equivalents per day applies thereafter — that is a dietary recommendation, not a continuation of the 400 µg supplementation.
Can you start too early? The recommendation itself sets no upper limit for the lead time; it names only a minimum lead time. What remains decisive is the daily amount: as long as the intake from all preparations together stays below the upper limit of 1,000 µg per day, it makes no difference whether intake began four weeks or six months before conception.
