(ARA) – According to a recent omnibus survey of 643 women ages 18 to 45, nearly half of women (43 percent) are unaware of the health benefits of taking folate or folic acid daily. Further, 67 percent report they do not take a supplement containing folate or folic acid daily, with more than half (52 percent) saying they don’t take a supplement containing folic acid at all.

Folate, a B vitamin (synthetically available as folic acid) helps regenerate cells and when taken before pregnancy and during the early months of pregnancy, helps reduce the risk of serious birth defects of the spine or brain, also known as neural tube defects (NTDs). That is why it is especially important for women of reproductive age to supplement their diet with the right amount of folic acid. If women have questions about folate or folic acid supplementation, they should speak with their healthcare provider.

March of Dimes(R) recommends that all women of reproductive age supplement their diet with at least 400 mcg of folic acid daily. Further, an objective of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Healthy People 2020 national initiative is to increase the proportion of women of childbearing potential with intake of at least 400 mcg of folic acid from fortified foods or dietary supplements – an objective that was not met in 2010.

To help the HHS reach its HealthyPeople 2020 objective, Bayer and March of Dimes(R) have joined forces with TV personality Vanessa Minnillo and DailyCandy.com, a popular women’s online resource, to launch Girlfriends for Folate, a national educational campaign to raise awareness about the importance of daily folate and folic acid intake among all women of reproductive age. Their collective goal is to invite women to spread the message about the importance of daily folate supplementation to all of their girlfriends.

Women can join the Girlfriends for Folate movement by registering on the campaign’s Facebook page at www.GirlfriendsforFolate.com. Here, visitors will also find educational materials about folate, such as a folate fact sheet and an interactive folate quiz.

For every woman who becomes a “GFF,” Bayer will give $1, up to $25,000, to support the 2011 March of Dimes March for Babies(R), the organization’s largest fundraiser that raises funds to improve the health of babies. The U.S. region with the most GFFs will be recognized nationally during its local March of Dimes March for Babies(R) event, where Minnillo will join other women committed to raising awareness about the importance of daily folate intake.

“As girlfriends, we have to look out for ourselves and for each other,” Minnillo says. “I’ve learned that folate is good for me now and in the future if I decide to have a baby. The Girlfriends for Folate campaign is important because it educates women about the important role folate plays in their overall health. It’s my goal to spread the word to all of my girlfriends to make folate supplementation part of their daily health regimen too.”

As part of the nationwide campaign, the GFF who raises the most money for March of Dimes March for Babies(R) will get the opportunity to walk alongside Minnillo, showcasing their shared commitment to the mission of Girlfriends for Folate.

Bayer and March of Dimes(R) continue to demonstrate their shared commitment to advancing women’s health and hope others will too by becoming a “GFF.”