The requirements for folate are based on the amount of dietary folate equivalents (DFEs, with values adjusted for differences in the absorption of food folate and folic acid) needed to maintain erythrocyte folate. DFEs adjust for the nearly 50 percent lower bioavailability of food folate compared to that of folic acid. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) is based on the precipitation or exacerbation of neuropathy in vitamin B12–deficient individuals as the critical end-point and represents total intake from fortified food or dietary supplements.

The UL does not include naturally occurring food folate. Although epidemiological evidence suggests that folate may protect against vascular disease, cancer and mental disorders, the evidence was not sufficient to use risk reduction of these conditions as a basis for setting folate requirements.

Rich food sources of folate include fortified grain products, dark green vegetables, and beans and legumes. Chronic inadequate folate intake results in macrocytic anemia. The adverse effect of consuming excess supplemental folate is the onset or progression of neurological complications in people with vitamin B12 deficiency. Excess folate can obscure or mask and thus potentially delay the diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency, which can result in an increased risk of progressive, unrecognized neurological damage.

To lower the chances of neural tube defects, pregnant women should take 400 mg of folic acid regularly from fortified foods, supplements, or both, in addition to consuming food folate from a varied diet. It is important to note that this recommendation specifically calls for folic acid, which is more bioavailable than food folate. Since foods fortified to a level of 400 mg are not available in Canada, the recommendation is to consume a multivitamin containing 400 mg of folic acid every day in addition to the amount of folate in a healthful diet.

Food Sources

Health Benefits of Folate

1. Prevent cancer

Folate may protect against cancer of the esophagus and the colon, although evidence at this time is limited. Folate plays roles in DNA synthesis and repair; thus, inadequate folate intakes may allow DNA damage to accumulate. This reason alone is enough to warrant everyone attending to their folate intake.

2. DNA production

Before cells can reproduce they must make a copy of their DNA. The necessity of folate is particularly realized in cells that rapidly reproduce. This includes cells associated with the body surfaces (skin, hair, and digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts) as well as blood cells and certain liver cells. Cells of these tissues must constantly be replaced or turned over to guarantee proper function and integrity. However, in order for these cells to reproduce they must first make a duplicate copy of their DNA so that when the cell divides into two cells, both will get a complete set of DNA.

3. Amino acid metabolism

Folate is also involved in transferring single-carbon molecules in the metabolism of certain amino acids as well. For instance, folate helps convert homocysteine to methionine.

4. Homocysteine metabolism

Recently a link has been made between homocysteine levels and heart disease. When folate transfers a carbon molecule to homocysteine it is converted to methionine. The conversion requires the help of vitamin B12 as well. Therefore, a deficiency of folate and/or vitamin B12 can allow for homocysteine levels to become elevated. Vitamin B6 is also important because it helps folate pick up the carbon unit that will be added to homocysteine to form methionine.

5. Crucial during pregnancy

Because folate is fundamentally involved in DNA production and thus the reproduction of cells, periods of life when rapid growth occurs demand a higher folate intake. During pregnancy a woman’s diet must include extra folate to assist in the rapid reproduction of cells of the unborn infant and herself (for example, blood cells, and placenta). Most prenatal vitamin supplements include folate to help meet a pregnant woman’s increased needs.

6. Prevent heart ailments

Heart ailment is a complex disorder which includes various variables or factors with different role on development. Elevated protein level is known as homocysteine that makes blood vessels inflexible or resistant to change. This could worsen hypertension and promotes the chances of coronary artery disease and strokes. Folate is transformed into metabolite tetrahydrofolate which breaks down homocysteine into useful protein methionine that enhance heart health.

7. Cognitive health

Folate is crucial for development of brain even in the womb. Its requirement won’t reduce as we age but rather increased. Individuals having low blood levels of folate has strong correlation to symptoms associated with epilepsy, depression, cognitive decline and psychiatric conditions. The part of brain which promotes memory or learning is also affected resulting in poor function of brain.

Protein homocysteine has toxic or inflammatory effects on neurons in the brain contributing development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Intake of folate is related with low oxidative damage to brain cells and enhance brain performance especially as people ages or with mild impairment.

8. Treat depression

Dopamine and serotonin are two essential transmitters which controls our mood as well as motivation. Levels of these neurotransmitters could be altered due to the combination of individual or external factors. This results in depressive illness or loss of motivation & pleasure with life. This is caused due to low levels of folate as this vitamin is involved in synthesis of both dopamine and serotonin. Increase in folate intake increases production and also stimulates serotonin receptors in brain and promotes the activity of medication that treats depression.

The two most important neurotransmitters that control our mood and motivation are dopamine and serotonin, whose levels may become altered due to a combination of external and individual factors. When this happens, the result is usually some manifestation of depressive illness, or loss of motivation and pleasure with life. One of these causes is low folate levels, since this vitamin is involves in the synthesis of both serotonin and dopamine. Increased folate consumption not only increases production, but also stimulates the serotonin receptors in the brain and can enhance the action of medication used to treat depression.

9. Slows down aging

Preserving mental function is crucial for slowing down premature aging. Folate lowers oxidative stress in the body which is the major cause for rapid aging and studies conducted using roundworms showed prolong lifespan.

10. Healthy liver

Liver processes various toxins on regular basis and in the process it could be damaged. In alcoholics, effect is worsened as the oxidative damage increases and the antioxidant levels of methionine and glutathione are reduced. Folate helps to maintain these two antioxidants, promotes liver detoxification and combat harmful effect of alcohol on liver.

11. Makes bone strong

Folate is considered to be crucial for maintaining bone health. Its deficiency is associated to lower bone density and increases the chances of fractures.

12. Strong immunity

T-cell function reduces as we ages and this weakens immunity. Folate deficiency worsens suppression of immunity. Individuals consuming folate found to have increase in resistance to disease. This is due to antioxidant properties of folate that lowers strain on immune system.

Inadequate intake/ deficiency of Folate

Folate deficiency can result in several problems including anemia. Red blood cells (RBCs) have a life span of about 4 months and are constantly reproducing (two million RBCs per second) in bone marrow to compensate for their normal destruction. Although RBCs do not contain a nucleus (with its DNA), there is a time in its development when each new RBC is created from the division of another cell. Before that cell divided into two new cells, it needed to copy its DNA. During folate deficiency, the original cell cannot properly copy its DNA because folate is not present to help construct the building blocks of DNA. This results in the development of large and immature RBCs, which then enter the blood and are readily noticeable with a microscope. Furthermore, fewer and fewer normal RBCs are produced, resulting in anemia. Anemia is a significant reduction in the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Remember: hemoglobin is found in RBCs, so a reduction in RBC concentration in our blood results in less hemoglobin. The anemia that results from folate deficiency is clinically referred to as macrocytic megaloblastic anemia. Macrocytic means big cell and megaloblast is the name for the pre-RBC form, which still has its nucleus. These changes in RBCs can be observed as early as a few months after consuming a folate-deficient diet.

Excess intake of Folate

• High folic acid intake could mask the hematological consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency and thus delay its diagnosis. This might increase the spinal and neurological damage caused by B12 deficiency.
• High folate intake could reduce the effectiveness of certain drugs like methotrexate that work by interfering with folate metabolism.
• High folic acid intake might increase the growth of existing bowel cancers or increase the risk of benign bowel adenomas developing into cancers.
• Folic acid used in supplements and for fortifying food might pose risks not posed by natural conjugated forms of folate found in food.

Special Considerations

1. Individuals at increased risk: People who are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency include those who follow a vegan diet, older adults with atrophic gastritis, and those with pernicious anemia and bacterial overgrowth of the gut. These individuals may place themselves at an increased risk of neurological disorders if they consume excess folate because folate may mask vitamin B12 deficiency.
2. Females of childbearing age: In general, the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in women of the childbearing years is very low and the consumption of supplemental folate at or above the UL in this subgroup is unlikely to produce adverse effects.

Recommended intakes of Folate

The DRI recommended intake for folate for healthy adults is set at 400 micrograms per day. The DRI committee also advises all women of child-bearing age to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid, a highly available form of folate, from supplements or enriched foods each day in addition to the folate that occurs naturally in their foods.

The recommended daily allowance of folate for people of different ages:

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287677.php

Helping the body make healthy new cells, folate plays an essential role in the creation of DNA and RNA. Folate is required for normal cellular growth because it has an indispensable role in DNA synthesis. It is is necessary for the production of normal red blood cells, the metabolism of homocysteine, the maintenance of amino acid levels, and the prevention of changes to DNA that could trigger the development of cancerous cells.

While everyone needs folate, it is especially important for women who may become pregnant. Adequate amounts of folate are required to prevent major birth defects in a baby’s brain and spinal cord. Since 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has mandated that food companies add folate to enriched breads, cereals, flour, cornmeal, rice, and other grain products. This has resulted in a reduction in the number of babies born with neural tube defects.

Folate also helps maintain normal levels of the amino acid homocysteine. While homocysteine is needed in order to make proteins, elevated levels of homocysteine have been implicated in a wide variety of disease processes, from cardiovascular disease to cancer. Many of folic acid’s actions are well understood, and indications for its use are clear. An example of this is the anemia caused by low folate levels. In other disease states, the role of folic acid has not yet been proven.

What are the Recommended Dosages of Folic Acid?

The Food and Nutrition Board has issued the following Recommended Dietary Allowances for folate. Males and females 14 years and older should take in 400 mcg per day, while children between the ages of 9 and 13 years should take in 300 mcg per day. Children between the ages of four and eight years should take in 200 mcg per day, while children between the ages of one and three years should take in 150 mcg per day. The adequate intake level for children seven months to one year is 80 mcg, and the adequate intake level for infants up to six months is 65 mcg. There are also tolerable upper intake levels for folate. Males and females 19 years and older should not take in more than 1,000 mcg per day, while teens between the ages of 14 and 18 years should take in no more than 800 mcg per day. Children between the ages of 9 and 13 years should take in no more than 600 mcg per day, while children between the ages of 4 and 8 should take in no more than 400 mcg per day. Children between the ages of one and three years should take in no more than 300 mcg per day. No upper limits have been established for infants. All of the above recommendations assume that folic acid will be functionally the same as folate. There is some evidence that folic acid in the body cannot always be metabolized to an active folate form and may not be the best way to supplement folate. Because folic acid is not the form of folate in the body, some have suggested that 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) might be a better way to supplement folate. This is available as a dietary supplement.

What Foods in the Diet Contribute Folate?

As its name suggests, good food sources of folate include lentils, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, asparagus, avocados, leafy green vegetables, bananas, lemons, melons, peas, organ meats, mushrooms, tomato juice, orange juice, and enriched bread, cereals, pasta, and other grain-based foods. Folate supplements, which are generally referred to as folic acid, are available as a single-ingredient supplement, but folate is often combined with other B vitamins. In order to prevent birth defects, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant are often advised take folate supplementation. Folate is commonly added to multivitamins for adults and children. The RDA for adults is 400 micrograms of folate daily. As the molecular structure of Folate is somewhat unstable when being heated so fresh or uncooked fruits or vegetables are considered to be better sources than cooked foods.

Health Benefits of Folic Acid

Let us take a closer look on the health benefits served by Folic Acid:

1. Must during pregnancy

Basically, Folate is involved in production of DNA and also reproduction of cells. At the periods of life when rapid growth occurs body demands for a high intake of folate. At the time of pregnancy, woman’s diet must incorporate extra folate to assist in the rapid reproduction of cells of the unborn infant and herself (for example, blood cells, and placenta). Most prenatal vitamin supplements include folate to help meet a pregnant woman’s increased needs.

2. Brain function

Folate has a vital role in womb for normal development of brain. Individuals having low folate levels have strong correlations to symptoms of depression, cognitive decline and psychiatric conditions. It also affects the brain part which fosters memory or learning results poor brain function. These unfavorable effects could be assigned to protein homocysteine which has toxic or inflammatory effects of neurons in brain and contributes onset of dreaded neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Intake of folate is related with lowering oxidative damage to brain cells and promote brain performance when age and mild impairment is already evident.

3. Influence mood

Dopamine and serotonin are two crucial neurotransmitters which control mood and motivation, and its levels could be altered due to mixture external and individual factors. This results in manifestation of depressive illness or loss of motivation & pleasure with life. It is caused due to low level of folate as it involves in synthesis of both dopamine and serotonin. Increase in consumption of folate not only promotes production but stimulates serotonin receptors in brain also and boost action of medication for treating depression.

4. Slows down aging

To preserve activity of mental faculties is essential for slowing down premature aging but folate is much better. It lowers oxidative stress in the body that brings rapid aging. In fact, humans are disclosed to various circumstances and studies confirm that is it is challenging but it shows beneficial effects that contributes overall health.

5. Cancer prevention

Onset of cancer is triggered when single cell begins to grow continuously. Damage to DNA leads defects in gene expression resulting abnormal mutations of cells. Generally mutations are harmless but when a mutation occurs it is significant to start cascade towards cancer. It does not have control over cancerous changes that have occurred already.

6. Liver health

Liver eliminates various toxins on regular basis and this process might damage liver. In alcoholics, the effect is worsened when oxidative damage increases with depleting levels of antioxidants such as methionine and glutathione. Folate helps to maintain the health of these antioxidants by promoting liver detoxification and also counteracting harmful effect on liver.

7. Kidney health

Kidney problems lead to kidney failure and become hard to manage even with the use of medication. Studies revealed that consumption of folate with popular treatments of kidney disease slows progression of disease and lowers manifestations on organs such as heart.

8. Stronger bones

Folate is vital for maintaining bone health along with calcium, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin D. Its deficiency has shown the link in decreasing bone density and promoting the chances of fractures. Folate suppresses resorption of bones when consumed in combination with bone friendly diet. As people ages T-cell function lowers and this results in weak immunity. Its deficiency worsens immune suppression. It also contains antioxidant properties that lower strain on immune system.

9. Enhance fertility

Fertility problems are difficult to get treated in both genders. The consumption of folate in women is related with promoting fertilization rates; improve release of eggs from ovaries and increases chances of carrying baby in women predisposed to miscarriages. In men, consumption of folate with zinc results in increase of more than 70% to sperm density per ml of semen. It lowers the ratio of abnormally shaped sperm and also likelihood of congenital defect occurring.

10. Healthy heart

Heat problems are complicated disorder which consists of various factors and variables playing different role on development. One is inflated levels of protein called homocysteine that makes blood vessels inflexible and resistance to change. It worsens hypertension and increases the chances of coronary artery disease and strokes. Folate is turned into metabolite tetrahydrofolate which breaks down homocysteine into favorable protein methionine. Moreover, methionine promotes heart health.

What Happens If Too Little Folate Is Consumed?

It is generally believed that most adults and children in the United States take in adequate amounts of folate. However, there are some groups that are at increased risk for deficiency, including women of childbearing age and non-Hispanic black women. One of the medical problems associated with folate deficiency is a condition known as megaloblastic anemia, which is characterized by weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, headache, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms associated with folate deficiency include soreness and shallow ulcerations on the tongue and in the mouth, changes in skin, hair, and fingernail pigmentation, and elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood. In addition to increasing the risk of neural tube defects, women of childbearing age who have insufficient levels of folate have a higher rate of babies born with lower birth weights, preterm deliveries, and fetal growth retardation.

Can Folate Be Toxic?

It is considered impossible to consume excess amounts of folate from food. Still, in the United States, people over the age of 50 who consume lots of folate fortified foods and folate supplements may take in too much folate. Signs and symptoms of excessive folate intake include digestive problems, nausea, loss of appetite, bloating, gas, a bitter taste in the mouth, depression, sleep problems, excessive excitability, irritability, and zinc deficiency. More serious signs of excessive levels of folate include psychotic behavior, numbness, tingling, mouth pain, weakness, and problems with concentration, confusion, fatigue, and seizures.

References:

https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/11-benefits-folate/