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| Folate: Are You Getting Enough?
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| Necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells, folate and folic acid are both forms of a water-soluble B vitamin that occur naturally in food. Also found in supplements, fortified foods, and is especially important during periods of rapid cell division, folate is a soluble B vitamin needed to make DNA and RNA - the building blocks of cells.
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Just recently a new study at the University of York Hull and Hull York Medical School has confirmed a link between depression and low levels of folate. Eleven previous studies and 15,315 participants concluded that even though folate does not cause depression, the two are linked.
The research, led by Dr Simon Gilbody and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, showed that people suffering from depression commonly process a gene that produces folate less efficiently.
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Proven to also reduce the incidence of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus in new born babies by between 4 and 14% a year, folate will now become a mandatory additive to bread in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, folic acid will be added to the flour while in New Zealand it will be added during the bread-making process - leaving the flour free. Organic and non-yeast breads will be exempt.
While folate occurs naturally in food, folic acid is the synthetic form of water-soluble vitamin B. Seventy years ago researcher Lucy Wills identified folate as the nutrient needed to prevent the anemia of pregnancy. It was demonstrated that the anemia could possibly be corrected by a yeast extract and folate was identified as the corrective substance being extracted from spinach leaves in 1941.
Not only is folate needed to produce DNA and RNA, folate also helps to prevent changes in DNA that may lead to cancer. Folate is needed to help produce red blood cells, prevent anemia, and is responsible for the production of the "feel good" chemicals in our brain, such as serotonin.
Foods Containing Folate
Grains
- Fortified breakfast cereal
- Whole-wheat products
Vegetables
- Asparagus
- Leafy green vegetables
Fruits
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupes and other melons
Meats/ Beans
- Liver
- Eggs
- Beans
- Sunflower seeds
***Note*** Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Fats, Oils, and Sweets contain low levels of folate
Check the nutritional labels on the back of foods products as the DV (daily value) of folate will be listed in a percentage based on a 2,000 calorie diet recommended by the table of selected food sources.
Since 1998, food manufactures in the United States have been required to add folic acid to enriched breads, cereals, corn meals, pastas, flour, rice and various other grain products. These regulations were brought into law to help reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects among newborn babies. Synthetic folic acid is what's added to fortified foods and dietary supplements as it has a simpler chemical structure than the natural source we find in foods, and is absorbed more easily by our body.
Healthy individuals who consume a well-balanced diet rarely need to seek folate supplements. Eating a variety of different foods containing folate is the best way to supply ourselves with an adequate amount.
The list below will help you to identify the various food sources that contain high concentrations of folate and their daily values based on a percentage.
Folate Sources And Daily Values
| Food | Serving Size | % Daily Value* |
| Chicken liver | 3.5 oz | 193 |
| Breakfast cereals | 1/2 to 1 | 25 to 100 |
| Braised beef liver | 3.5 oz | 54 |
| Lentils, cooked | 1/2 cup | 45 |
| Chickpeas | 1/2 cup | 35 |
| Asparagus | 1/2 cup | 33 |
| Spinach, cooked | 1/2 cup | 33 |
| Black beans | 1/2 cup | 32 |
| Burrito with beans | | 30 |
| Kidney beans | 1/2 cup | 29 |
| Baked beans with pork | | 223 |
| Lima beans | 1/2 cup | 20 |
| Tomato juice | 1 cup | 12 |
| Brussels sprouts | 1/2 cup | 12 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 12 |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1/2 cup | 10 |
| Fast-food French-fries | | 10 |
| Wheat germ | 2 tbsp | 10 |
| Fortified white bread/slice | | 10 |
(Source: Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 16th edition)
Folate Deficiency
A deficiency of folate can occur when your body loses more folate than usual, and when dietary intake of folate is inadequate. Be careful of medications, as they may also interfere with your body's natural process to use folate properly. Steer clear of high consumption of alcohol, as it is another contributing factor related to folate deficiency. In a 1997 study more than 50% of chronic alcoholics were found to have low folate levels. Alcohol disrupts the body's natural absorption of folate and increases its loss through the kidneys. As well, many alcoholics fail to adhere to a healthy diet, which may also lead to a deficiency.
Possible Situations Of Decreased Folate
- Liver disease
- Certain anemias
- Kidney dialysis
- Pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding)
- Alcohol abuse
- Kidney dialysis
A folate deficiency can be hard to detect. However, loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, sore tongue, weakness, headaches, heart palpitations, irritability, and behavioral disorders can all be signs of low folate levels.
Women who become pregnant need to be extremely careful to make sure their folate consumption is adequate, as women with low levels are likely to give birth to low-weight and premature infants, and infants with neural tube defects. Pregnant women are advised to consume foods that have been fortified with folic acid and take supplements. Between 400 and 600 micrograms of synthetic folic acid from foods and supplements should be an adequate enough daily intake throughout a woman's pregnancy.
Too Much Folate?
The risk for consuming too much folate is extremely low. A tolerable upper intake level is 1,000 mcg for adult men and women daily - 800 mcg for pregnant and lactating women. Be careful not to exceed the daily upper level by taking supplemented folic acid, as it may mask the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
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