South Carolina halved its neural tube defects since launching a public information campaign in the early 1990s, Meyer said. It shows it s not just hypothetical, it actually can work. Their demographics are not that much different from ours, he said. Folate and folic acid are different terms for the same B-vitamin. Folate is a natural substance found in fruits and vegetables including orange juice, green leafy vegetables and pinto beans.
Folic acid is the synthetic B-vitamin form used in vitamin supplements.
Synthetic folic acid is also better absorbed than folate, Krowchuk said. A .4-milligram tablet is about half the size of an aspirin tablet. An associate professor of nursing, Krowchuk hopes to reach at least 23,000 college women in the next year with her campaign Print and electronic media will be used, as well as 20-minute presentations in dormitories, and information booths at campus events. Samples of folic acid supplements will be distributed to women to get them started in the habit.