Taking too much folic acid won’t cause health problems in most circumstances. Not getting enough from your diet, however, might create cardiovascular conditions that change your heart rate, breathing and other normal body functions. Folic acid, a B vitamin also called folate, helps your body generate new red blood cells, which deliver oxygen to organs and tissue for metabolic use. A lack of folic acid causes this system to break down, resulting in anemia and its symptoms.
Healthy Folic Acid Levels
Healthy adults should get 400 micrograms of folic acid from their diets daily, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pregnant women, whose risk for low blood count is greater than normal, should take 600 micrograms of folic acid, to prevent anemia in themselves and neural tube birth defects in their babies. Folate, the naturally occurring form of this B vitamin, is present in green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and broccoli, and animal products such as liver, eggs, milk and yogurt. Cooked dry beans, lentils and peas, oranges, bananas and papayas are additional sources. Folic acid, the technical term for the synthetic vitamin form, is found in enriched cereals, breads, rice and pastas.
Folic Acid Deficiency
Low dietary intakes of folic acid over long periods, as well as the decreased absorption caused by alcoholism and some cancer treatments, can severely diminish your body stores. Without enough folic acid, your body does not produce as many red blood cells. When you blood count drops to a certain level, your heart cannot pump adequate oxygen to your body cells, and anemia sets in.
Anemia Symptoms
Folic acid–deficiency anemia presents similar symptoms to other types of anemia, including that produced by iron deficiency. As your heart tries to distribute enough oxygen, your heart and breathing rates might increase, and you may become tired more easily. The shortage of oxygen can cause dizziness, weakness, leg cramps and shortness of breath. Your doctor will use a blood test to measure your blood levels of folic acid, iron and other blood-making nutrients to confirm a diagnosis of anemia.
Treatment
Reviewing the dietary sources of folic acid for inclusion in daily meals will be your first step to resolving your abnormal heart rate and other anemic symptoms. If your blood levels are extremely low, your doctor may order a blood transfusion, folic acid injection or vitamin supplementation. If you are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, your health care provider may add a special form of folic acid called leucovorin to your drug regimen. This will sustain your blood count without interfering with other cancer medication.
Member Comments