![]() It can cause symptoms like weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and shortness of breath ( 14, 15). Megaloblastic anemia is a condition characterized by enlarged red blood cells. ![]() Your body uses folate and vitamin B12 similarly, meaning that a deficiency in either can cause similar symptoms.įor this reason, folic acid supplements may mask vitamin-B12-induced megaloblastic anemia and cause an underlying vitamin B12 deficiency to go undetected ( 14, 15, 16). If left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to irreversible nerve damage, which makes a delayed diagnosis particularly worrisome ( 13). Your body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and keep your heart, brain, and nervous system functioning optimally ( 13). High folic acid intake may mask a vitamin B12 deficiency. Getting too much folic acid can cause unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) to build up in your body, which might harm health. Your body absorbs folic acid from fortified foods and supplements easier than it absorbs naturally occurring folate from foods. In fact, according to the NIH, it’s estimated that only about 5% of men and women ages 51–70 take more than this amount per day, mostly due to the use of supplements ( 1). ![]() Keep in mind that most people don’t consume more than 1,000 mcg of folic acid per day unless they’re taking supplements in high doses. The UL for children is even less, ranging from 300–800 mcg depending on age ( 12) However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that adults over the age of 19 limit their intake of folic acid from fortified foods and supplements to 1,000 mcg per day. There is no upper limit (UL) established for naturally occurring folate from foods. 0.5 mcg of folic acid from dietary supplements taken on an empty stomach.0.6 mcg of folic acid from fortified foods or dietary supplements consumed with foods.Dietary folate equivalentsīecause folic acid is more readily absorbed than folate from food, the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have developed dietary folate equivalents (DFEs) to set clearer folate intake recommendations ( 1). This is concerning because high blood levels of UMFA appear to be linked to various health concerns ( 1, 8, 9, 10, 11). This doesn’t happen when you eat high folate foods ( 7). However, the liver is only able to process a certain amount of folic acid at a time ( 7 ).Īs a result, consuming too much folic acid from fortified foods and supplements can cause unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) to accumulate in your blood. It’s estimated that about 85% of folic acid from fortified foods or supplements is absorbed, while only 50% of natural folate from foods is used by your body ( 1).Īfter folic acid is absorbed into your bloodstream, it’s broken down into smaller compounds by your liver. Your body doesn’t absorb folate as easily as it absorbs folic acid.
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