Folic acid

Beetroot contains folic acid which is essential for normal tissue growth. Folic acid is crucial to the development of a babys spinal cord during the first three months of pregnancy and can help prevent spinal cord defects such as spina bifida. Beetroot also contains iron so is a fab pick me up for mums to be suffering from fatigue during pregnancy. Expectant mums must remember though that cooked beetroot has lower levels of folic acid than raw beetroot. For more information on the importance of folic acid during pregnancy, visit the NHS website. For more information on foods containing folic acid see Bountys Folic Acid Factfile.