Your lungs consist of air sacs that fill with oxygen when you take in a breath. Factors such as smoking may cause gradual damage to these sacs, limiting the amount of air you take in. This condition, known as emphysema, results in permanent damage to the lungs. Your doctor will discuss treatments to help reduce your symptoms, which includes medications, supplemental oxygen or surgical procedures. Supplements such as folic acid will not provide relief, but a deficiency could affect your condition.
Symptoms
Lung damage from emphysema occurs gradually, so you may have this condition for many years before your doctor diagnoses you. Since emphysema affects your ability to breathe, you will experience shortness of breath. In the early stages, you might feel short of breath after a physical activity. This will gradually progress until you have difficulty catching your breath even though you remain seated or lying down.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is the synthetic form of the B vitamin, folate. This nutrient helps your body form cells such as red blood cells, and folic acid also aids in growth and development. Although your body requires folic acid for these and other functions, folic acid does not have any known benefits for treating or preventing emphysema. However, if you do not have an adequate intake of this nutrient either through diet or supplements, you may experience complications. Symptoms of a deficiency include fatigue, headaches and tongue soreness. Low levels could also result in shortness of breath, and this could aggravate or worsen breathing difficulties from emphysema.
Recommended Intake
You should work with your doctor to ensure that you have the necessary intake each day to prevent a deficiency and potential complications. Each person may have a different need, but the average adult requires between 400 and 600 micrograms each day. Many foods contain folate, the natural form of folic acid, and these foods include asparagus, which contains 85 micrograms in four spears, and raw spinach, providing 60 micrograms in a single cup. You can also eat fortified cereals and breads, as well as eggs, avocado, legumes and broccoli.
Considerations
Talk to your doctor before you use folic acid or any other supplement since nutrients could interact with medications you take for emphysema or other health conditions. Your doctor will help you determine how much, if any, folic acid supplementation you need.
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