Junior77,
In the NIH factsheet about folate
[url]http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/folate.asp[/url]
there is a lot of information about folate (folic acid).
This is the latest nutrient to be added to all sorts of supplements and fortified food products, primarily, I think, because pregnant women tend not to eat enough good foods to get enough folate for their babies. You probably are not pregnant, however.
In general, what we receive naturally from unfortified foods is ok, because all the B-Vitamins tend to balance each other out. The problem is that too much folate tends to make B-12 unavailable for the body to use, and a B-12 deficiency can cause nerve damage if not treated soon enough.
The recommended allowance for adults as 400 micrograms per day, with an upper limit of 1000 micrograms per day.
Since you are probably getting folic acid from a lot of sources (fortified flour and cereals, for example), as well as what is normally found in foods (beans, greens), make sure that your supplements also contain Vitamin B-12 as well as all of the other B Vitamins.
--Rheanna
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