The B vitamin folate, also called folic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins are stored in the body in very limited amounts and are excreted through the urine. Therefore, it is a good idea to have them in your daily diet. Folate is considered a crucial vitamin before and during pregnancy. Research has shown that folate deficiencies during pregnancy can lead to neural tube birth defects in babies.

Functions

Folate's functions include:

• Helping amino acid metabolism and conversion
• Aiding in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine
• Producing and maintaining new cells
• Making DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells
• Preventing changes to DNA that may lead to cancer
• Making red blood cells and preventing anemia
• Assisting in the creation of neurotransmitters (chemicals that regulate sleep, pain, and mood)

Recommended Intake:

mcg=microgram

Folate Deficiency

Folate deficiency is a common vitamin deficiency. It can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

• Need is increased, as with pregnancy
• Dietary intake is lacking
• Body is excreting more than usual
• Medications interfering with the body's ability to use folate include:
  • Anti-convulsant medicines
  • Metformin
  • Sulfasalazine
  • Triamterene
  • Methotrexate
  • Barbituates

Signs or symptoms of folate deficiency include:

• Megaloblastic anemia (shown by blood tests)
• Irritability, hostility
• Weakness
• Weight loss
• Apathy, forgetfulness
• Anorexia, loss of appetite
• Sore tongue, glossitis (inflammation of tongue)
• Headache
• Heart palpitations
• Paranoid behavior
• Diarrhea

Too Much Folate

Large doses of folate can cause symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency to appear. Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in older adults. Although folate supplementation will alleviate the anemia caused by the B12 deficiency, the nervous system damage caused by the B12 deficiency will continue. This is why it is important that you talk to your doctor before you take a folate supplement. It may be necessary for you to take vitamin B12 supplements along with the folate.

There is no upper limit for ingesting folate found naturally in foods. However, there are tolerable upper intake levels for folate consumed from fortified foods and supplements:

Major Food Sources

There is a variety of foods that contain folate. Some foods, like cereal, rice, and flour, are fortified with folate. Here is a list of major food sources and their folate content.

Health Implications

Tips for Increasing Your Folate Intake:

To help increase your intake of folate:

• Spread a little avocado on your sandwich in place of mayonnaise.
• Drink a glass of orange juice or tomato juice in the morning.
• Add spinach to your scrambled eggs.
• Slice a banana on top of your breakfast cereal.
• Sprinkle some toasted wheat germ on top of pasta or a stir-fry.
• Throw some chickpeas or kidney beans into a salad.
• If you take a vitamin supplement, make sure it contains folate.