We discuss the importance of folic acid for expectant mothers and their children. But the B vitamin can be just as important for dads!

Folic acid’s primary role is in helping reduce the risk of children developing a neural tube defect during the early stages of pregnancy. Women are recommended to take 400 mcg of folic acid for at least a month before conception and during the first three months of pregnancy.

However, men and women both need folic acid – and its natural form folate – because of its use in the development of red and white blood cells. It also aids the body in utilizing carbohydrates as energy and making healthy DNA.

For men specifically, researchers have looked at whether folic acid can be beneficial in the planning stages of pregnancy. Folate is involved in making DNA, and early research suggested it may play a role in normal sperm development.

Folate (the natural form of folic acid) levels measured in semen have been associated with sperm health. One study found that low folate levels in semen were associated with poor sperm DNA stability.

One small study looked at sperm count. In that study, published in the Fertility and Sterility journal, men were given 5 mg of folic acid and 66 mg of zinc a day for 26 weeks. They found that sperm count increased in 74% of the men.

However, a much larger and more recent trial tells a different story. In a study of 2,370 couples led by the National Institutes of Health, men who took 5 mg of folic acid plus 30 mg of zinc every day for six months did not have better sperm counts, sperm function, or pregnancy rates than men who took a placebo, and they were more likely to have mild stomach side effects. Both studies used folic acid doses far above the 1,000 mcg daily upper limit for adults, so men shouldn’t take high-dose folic acid for fertility without talking to a doctor.

Beyond fertility, men need folate for their overall health, too.

Adult men need 400 mcg DFE of folate a day, and most men in the U.S. get enough from food, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Research on folic acid supplements for heart disease, cancer, mood, and memory has been mixed. Supplements appear to lower the risk of stroke, especially in people with low folate, but they have not been shown to prevent heart disease or cancer in people who already get enough folate, and some studies have linked folic acid supplements to a higher risk of prostate cancer. For most men, a folate-rich diet is the best place to start.

Folic acid is available over the counter and is inexpensive. You can also get folic acid in your diet by including dark leafy greens, asparagus, peanuts, chickpeas, and fortified whole grains.

How dads can help

One of the best things a dad-to-be can do is support his partner’s daily folic acid habit. The CDC recommends that anyone who could become pregnant get 400 mcg of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before pregnancy. Sharing healthy, folate-rich meals with dark leafy greens, beans, and fortified grains is good for the whole family.

Updated October 2026. This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your health care provider.

Related reading

Sources