Folate, or vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin. It plays an essential role in many of the processes in our bodies, including the development and growth of new cells and the synthesis and reparations of DNA.
Normal levels of folate indicate that your dietary intake provides sufficient building blocks necessary for your overall health.
Measuring folate levels can be relevant in various situations, since it has multiple functions in our bodies. The most common and perhaps obvious is to identify folate deficiency. Deficiency may be caused by a variety of reasons, but can result in serious health related problems such as anemia and impaired nervous system.
Folate can be measured as part of a routine blood test or if a person is experiencing symptoms associated with deficiency. Measuring your folate levels can also, once confirmed that there is a deficiency, be used for monitoring effects and effectiveness of treatment.
Low levels of folate, also known as folate deficiency, means that your body isn’t getting enough of this vitamin. The possible reasons for this can vary, but may result in several health problems such as affected nerve function and anemia.
Some of the most common causes behind a deficiency are malnutrition, high intake of alcohol and conditions affecting the ability to absorb folate from the diet.
(In pregnant women, folate deficiency is more common as the growing fetus requires high amounts of folate.)
If you show low vitamin folate levels, it is important to have the value interpreted by a healthcare professional to decide if further measures are needed or not.
High levels of folate in your blood, also known as hyperfolatemia, are in general considered harmless and not a cause for concern. The main reason being that folate is water-soluble which means that the body will not store excess amounts, but rather eliminate it through urine.
It is, however, important to note that even though high levels themselves are not very harmful, they might mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, resulting in a delayed diagnosis and treatment. This can be harmful, since an untreated B12 deficiency can lead to nerve damage. It is therefore always important to evaluate B12 in people with high folate levels. of some important pointers regarding elevated folate levels