Folate is a B vitamin. It is also called folic acid. Folate is stored in the body in very small amounts and leaves the body through the urine. Getting enough folate in your diet is a good thing. Folate is a key vitamin, especially before and during pregnancy. Not getting enough during this time can lead to birth defects in babies.

What Folate Does

Folate plays a role in:

• Helping the body break down and use the amino acids that make up proteins
• Making new cells and keeping them healthy
• Making DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells
• Blocking changes to DNA that may lead to cancer
• Making red blood cells and preventing low levels of red blood cells called anemia
• Helping to make chemicals that affect sleep, pain, and mood

Recommended Intake:

mcg=microgram

Too Little Folate

Folate deficiency (too little folate) is common. It can happen for a number of reasons, like:

• Higher need, as with pregnancy
• Not eating enough foods with folate
• Very high levels of folate passing out of the body
• Medicine that makes it hard for the body to use folate, such as anti-seizure medicine

How Low Folate Can Affect Your Health

Low folate may lead to:

• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Weakness
• Lack of hunger and weight loss
• Memory problems
• Tongue soreness or swelling
• Mood problems
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Megaloblastic anemia (red blood cells that are very large)
• Believing things that are not based on reality

Major Food Sources

Many types of foods have folate. It is also added to some foods, like cereal, rice, and flour. Here is a list of major food sources and their folate content.

Tips to Raise Your Intake

To help get more folate:

• Spread a little avocado on your sandwich in place of mayo.
• Drink a glass of orange juice or tomato juice.
• Add spinach to your scrambled eggs.
• Slice a banana on top of your cereal.
• Sprinkle some toasted wheat germ on top of pasta or a stir-fry.
• Throw some chickpeas or kidney beans into a salad.
• Make sure your vitamin contains folate.

Too Much Folate

There can be too much of a good thing. There is no upper limit for taking in folate found naturally in foods. However, there are recommended limits for the amount of folate you get from fortified foods and supplements:

Large doses of folate can make it hard to spot symptoms of low vitamin B12 (B12 deficiency). This can look a lot like having too little folate. But too little B12 can also cause damage to the nervous system. Folate supplements will help the symptoms of anemia caused by too little vitamin B12, but they will not stop damage to the nervous system. A blood test will help find out if your folate and vitamin B12 levels are low. You may need to take vitamin B12 supplements along with the folate. Talk to your doctor before you take any supplement.