Folate and B12 are both water-soluble B vitamins that are essential to our daily function. These vitamins provide a protective service to our bodies. They break down the amino acid homocysteine, which is toxic to our nerve cells, as stated in Help Guide. Without these essential vitamins, our bodies would not function properly, causing health consequences.
Folate
We can obtain folate from many foods, such as cereals, baked goods, spinach, broccoli, lettuce, okra, asparagus, fruits, legumes, yeast, mushrooms and organ meat, reports the Mayo Clinic. Folate is a naturally occurring B vitamin; in its synthetic form it is known as folic acid. According to Mayo Clinic, folic acid has not demonstrated consistent support for improving cognitive function of older adults. Due to the importance of folate in our diet and in the diets of pregnant women, many foods in the United States have been fortified with folic acid.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is found in a variety of foods, such as fish, shellfish, meat and dairy products. This vitamin helps our bodies keep producing healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. B12 is also used in the formation of our cell DNA, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Who Will Benefit
It is highly recommended that women who are trying to become pregnant increase their intake of folic acid to ward off the risk of the baby developing neural tube defect, as reported by the Mayo Clinic. Alcoholics tend to benefit from folic acid supplements, because alcohol interferes with the absorption of folate. Also, it is important for strict vegetarians and the elderly to increase their intake of B12 through nutritional supplements due to their lack of consumption or absorption of vitamin B12-rich foods.
Supplement Safety
The addition of dietary supplements to your diet should be done with precaution. Although taking folate and vitamin B12 in a supplement form is generally considered safe it should be discussed with your doctor. Due to the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act dietary supplements and homeopathic remedies can be marketed and sold to consumers without being tested for safety and effectiveness by the FDA, according to Help Guide. Products are only removed from the shelves when the FDA becomes aware of a systemic danger, as a result of consumer complaints. When taking folate and B12 in a dietary supplemental form, keep in mind that the manufacturer's claims and dosage recommendations have not been established by the FDA.
Without Folate and B12
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are a number of problems that can result from folate and B12 deficiency. These can include: megaloblastic anemic, where your red blood cells become larger than normal, birth defects, pregnancy loss and chronic fatigue. Deficient levels of B12 have been shown to contribute to abnormal neurologic and psychiatric symptoms including, but not limited to, ataxia, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, incontinence, dementia, psychoses and mood disturbances, as reported by the Mayo Clinic.
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