According to the US Institute of Medicine. In the USA, adults should consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. This substance also called folate or vitamin B9, is crucial to our health, as it helps our bodies make and repair DNA and make red blood cells.
If your body lacks folic acid, you may experience certain symptoms and even develop anemia, a condition in which your internal organs cannot get enough oxygen to function properly. We listed the most common signs that show your body needs more folic acid.
Signs Of Folic Acid Deficiency
7. Cognitive Problems
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Folic acid is extremely important to the central nervous system. If your body does not have this vitamin, you may experience depression, concentration problems, and feel forgetful and irritable.
If not treated properly, an insufficient intake of folic acid can also increase the risk of developing serious disorders, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
6. Body Pains
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In severe cases of anemia caused by folate deficiency, your brain receives less oxygen than it should. In response, the arteries in the brain start to swell and give you a headache.
However, your brain is not the only organ that lacks oxygen; therefore, you may also experience pain in other parts of your body with an iron deficiency, especially in the chest and legs.
5. Pale Skin
Hemoglobin, a protein contained in red blood cells, is responsible for the transport of oxygen from the lungs to all tissues in the body. When your body lacks folic acid, it doesn’t have enough red blood cells (and hemoglobin) to supply your internal organs with the necessary amount of oxygen.
This can cause feelings of muscle weakness, fatigue, numbness in the hands and feet, and pale skin.
4. Shortness of Breath
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If you are out of breath while doing things that you normally do without problems, it means that your oxygen levels are low because your body does not have red blood cells.
Along with this symptom, you may also experience an increase in heart rate and feel dizzy or even fainting.
3. Digestive Problems
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Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea after meals may be the first signs that your body does not have folic acid.
Furthermore, in severe cases, you may also suffer from anorexia, which generally leads to significant weight loss.
2. Mouth Sores and Tongue Swelling
These symptoms generally occur when the lack of folic acid is quite severe, so you should not neglect them. Your tongue may appear swollen, red, or shiny, usually around the tip and edges first.
Due to decreased red blood cells, you may also experience pain when swallowing or suffer from tongue pain and stomatitis.
1. Reduced Sense of Flavor
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According to some studies, in addition to mouth sores, deficiency of folic acid can cause problems in the taste of food.
This is because taste receptors, called papillae, cannot send messages to the brain through the nervous system due to existing language problems.
How to Treat Folic Acid Deficiency
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The easiest way to resolve folate deficiency is through your diet. To maintain proper folic status, you should eat more dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and asparagus.
As for other foods, it’s best to consume citrus, beans, mushrooms, and whole grains regularly.
If you have noticed any of these symptoms, the first thing you should do is consult your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. Only then should you start to change your eating habits.
Do you know of other ways to treat folate deficiency? Share your knowledge with us in the comment section below!