Try this loaded spinich salad to load up on folate.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Not sure what folate is, exactly? It’s the naturally occurring form of folic acid. You may have heard about this B vitamin's vital role in preventing neural-tube defects during pregnancy, which is why women of childbearing age are encouraged to eat high folate foods. But folate does so much more. For starters, it works with many different enzymes to build DNA and RNA. It's also essential for normal nerve functioning. It helps support cell production, prevents anemia, helps prevent osteoporosis-related bone fractures, helps prevent the build-up of homocysteine, and lowers risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, folic acid may help protect against certain cancers. Researchers at the University of Alabama in Birmingham found that women whose cervical cells were loaded with folate were two to five times less likely than women with low folate levels to develop abnormal cells in the cervix, which can progress to cancer in some women. And in the Nurses' Health Study, women who took extra folic acid for 15 years reduced their risk of colon cancer by 75 percent (other studies revealed more modest benefits). Also, folic acid may help protect against breast cancer for women who consume alcohol. Having a daily drink increases your chance of developing breast cancer by about 10 percent, studies have shown, but getting enough folic acid appears to counteract that extra risk.

Folate is perhaps best known for its power to protect a woman's fetus from life-threatening birth defects of the brain and spine. Studies have shown that consuming the recommended amount of folic acid before conception and in the first month of pregnancy prevents up to 70 percent of neural-tube defects. Yet almost 70 percent of premenopausal women don't get the recommended amount, even though folic acid is now added to "enriched" breads and cereals, making high folate foods easy to come by.

The recommended daily intake of folate is 400 micrograms. Research suggests that overdoing it with folic acid can raise your risk of some types cancer, so if you take it in supplement form, pay close attention to how much you're getting from your diet too. In addition to folic acid–enriched grain products like cereal, bread and pasta, and fortified orange juice, there are many foods rich in naturally occurring folate. These include beef liver, lentils, spinach, black-eyed peas, navy and pinto beans, asparagus, artichokes, avocados, collard, turnip and mustard greens, okra, broccoli, papayas, and raspberries.