When the tendons in your elbow become overworked, the result is often pain. This condition is commonly called tennis elbow. You are most likely to feel the pain where the tendons of your forearm muscles connect to the outside of your elbow. However, your pain may spread into your wrist or forearm. Certain nutrients work together to promote tendon health, such as folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B12.
Identification
Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin. It is the synthetic form of folate. This vitamin, along with B12, facilitates your body's use of vitamin C. Your body uses vitamin C to synthesize collagen, which is the structural component of tendons as well as blood vessels.
Daily Recommendation
If you are taking folic acid to promote tendon health --- or just general health --- the U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements recommends you get 400 mcg folate or folic acid daily. If you are pregnant, the recommendation goes up to 600 mcg daily. The recommended vitamin C intake to accompany this is 90 mg daily if you are male and 75 mg daily if you are female. The recommended daily intake for vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg a day for both men and women.
Sources
If you do not like taking supplements to promote tendon health, you can gain folate from food. You'll find it in legumes, beans, fortified cereals, citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, pork, poultry, shellfish and whole grains. You'll find vitamin B12 poultry and shellfish. It's also in eggs, milk products and meat. Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes and leafy greens.
Considerations
While supplementing with vitamins like folic acid may promote tendon health, tennis elbow really is an overuse injury. It's caused by repeatedly contracting your forearm muscles used to straighten and raise your wrist and hand. Playing tennis with poor technique is one risk factor. Other common arm moves may cause this condition, however. These include painting, driving screws, excessive computer use, use of plumbing tools and cutting cooking ingredients like meat, according to MayoClinic.com. The standard, first-line treatment for a mild case of tennis elbow is not supplementation. It's the RICE method, which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. Avoiding overuse of your forearm muscles and correcting poor form in your tennis game are the best ways to prevent this condition.
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