Folic Acid Deficiency
Overview
Causes
Folate deficiency may be caused by:
- Not getting enough folate from food
- Not absorbing enough folate from the digestive tract
- Needing more folate than normal, such as during pregnancy
- Procedures or medicine that block absorption or raises the need for folate
Risk Factors
Things that may raise the risk of folate deficiency are:
- Not getting enough folate in the diet due to:
- Poor nutrition
- A long term need of IV nutrition
- Alcohol use disorder
-
Having conditions and procedures that affect the body's ability to absorb folate from the digestive tract, such as:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Celiac disease or other malabsorption disorders
- Taking certain medicines, such as antiseizure medicines and oral contraceptives
- Weight loss surgery that changes the digestive system
- Needing more folate than normal due to:
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Growth in infants
- Cancer
- Liver disease
- Chronic hemolytic anemia
- Kidney dialysis
- Taking certain medicines, such as methotrexate
SymptomsandDiagnosis
Symptoms
Symptoms of folate deficiency may be:
- Feeling very tired
- Lack of hunger
- Headache
- Pale skin
- A red, irritated, swollen, and sometimes shiny tongue
- Mouth sores
- Shortness of breath and lightheadedness
- Change in bowel patterns, such as loose stools (poop)
Folate deficiency can lead to problems such as:
- Megaloblastic anemia—larger than normal red blood cells
- Elevated homocysteine levels in the blood—a risk factor for heart disease
- Neural tube defects that affect fetal spinal cord, brain, and skull development
Treatments
Treatment
Any underlying causes will be treated.
The goal of treatment is to increase folate levels. This can be done with a folic acid supplement.
Prevention
The risk of this problem may be lowered by eating foods that contain folate, such as grains, spinach, and lentils.
Some people at risk for deficiency need to take folate supplements. For example, pregnant women need to take vitamins with additional folic acid in them to prevent birth defects.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Edits to original content made by Denver Health.
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