Your body needs folic acid and folate, two equivalent forms of vitamin B-9, to enable cell division and red blood cell formation. A diet that includes too few green vegetables, beans and other vitamin-rich sources may affect your folic acid and folate levels. Physical changes caused by your lifestyle, life stage or acquired disease can alter the amount of folic acid that your body can use. Low vitamin B-9 stores can lead to anemia, a potentially serious blood disorder.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy brings about a natural shift in your blood composition as increased plasma dilutes the blood, effectively decreasing the ratio of red blood cells. The intake of folic acid and other nutrients that help make red blood cells must then increase to maintain an adequate flow of oxygenated blood throughout the body. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute suggests increasing dietary folate during pregnancy to prevent a low blood count and anemia. Your doctor also may recommend a folic acid vitamin and mineral supplement.
Cancer
Folic acid and folate promote cell division in the bone marrow where red blood cells are formed. Some types of cancer cells may move into this space and displace the normally growing cells, rendering your body’s B-9 stores inadequate to their task. If you are receiving chemotherapy for cancer and are taking methotrexate, your body may not be able to use folic acid and folate properly. Your doctor might prescribe a reduced form of folic acid called leucovorin that is more bioaccessible.
Alcohol Abuse
Alcoholism, characterized in part by a physical dependency on alcohol, affects how much folic acid and folate remain in your body and how much of them your colon can absorb. Decreased absorption and increased excretion by the kidneys leaves a limited quantity of vitamin B-9 available to the bone marrow for blood-cell production. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, alcoholics are more likely to suffer from B-9 dietary deficiencies as well.
Dietary Imbalance
Whatever your life stage, lifestyle or health condition, your diet may fail to provide enough folate or folic acid for your body’s daily needs. Eating habits that exclude one or more food groups lend themselves to vitamin deficiency. You can restore your nutritional levels of folate with foods such as spinach, black beans, oranges, eggs and yogurt. Fortified foods, such as cereal, bread and pasta noodles, provide folic acid. Folic acid also is available in supplement form. Get your doctor’s advice on which dietary changes are best for you.
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