What Happens to Your Body When You Take Folate Every Day

When you think about nutrition, folate may not be the first nutrient that comes to mind. However, this B vitamin is crucial for your health. Folate is required for DNA synthesis and forming new cells, especially during periods of rapid growth, such as pregnancy and infancy. It also helps produce red blood cells, which transport energizing oxygen throughout the body. And that’s just the beginning.

Are you getting enough of this all-important nutrient? Or could you use a supplement? Read on to find out if you need more of this vitamin and what happens to your body when you take folate every day.

What Is Folate?

“Folate is an essential vitamin you can get through food or supplements,” says Sarah Schlichter, M.P.H., RDN, owner of Bucket List Tummy.

Technically, it’s known as vitamin B9. However, it goes by two other names depending on where you get it. In food, it’s called folate. But in synthetic form, it’s called folic acid, which is what you’ll see on supplement labels.

Folate Deficiency

The good news is most Americans consume more than enough folate, so deficiency is rare. However, some people may fall short, like teenage girls and young women.

Insufficient folate intake can lead to anemia, characterized by fatigue, weakness and pale skin due to the production of abnormally large and ineffective red blood cells. Pregnant women with insufficient folate are at greater risk of giving birth to a baby with neural tube defects.

Recommended Daily Intake for Folate

The amount of folate you need varies depending on your age, gender and life stage. According to the National Institutes of Health, most healthy adults require 400 micrograms of folate per day. Pregnant women have higher requirements of 600 mcg to support fetal development and prevent neural tube defects. Breastfeeding women have higher needs, too, and should aim for 500 mcg daily. Children and adolescents need between 150 and 400 mcg daily, depending on their age.

Health Benefits of Folate

You May Have a Healthier Pregnancy

Folate is crucial for reproductive health, which is why it has been added to fortified foods since 1998 to prevent deficiencies. “Since needs are higher during pregnancy and absorption can be poor, folic acid supplements are often used in multivitamins and supplements during pregnancy,” says Schlichter.

You May Have Better Brain Health

Research reveals that B vitamins, including folate, may help maintain brain health, particularly memory and cognition. For example, higher folate intake has been associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia, and B vitamin supplementation has been linked to slower rates of cognitive decline, says Schlichter.

In addition, people with low folate may also be more prone to depression. And they often don’t respond as well to antidepressants as people with sufficient folate levels. So, it’s beneficial for mental health as well.

It May Help Keep Cells Healthy

“Folate is important for aiding in the formation of new cells and DNA as well as cell division,” says Schlichter. Whether it’s your hair, skin, nails, brain, muscles or bones, there isn’t a cell in your body that can survive without it.

It May Protect You from a Stroke

Folate helps reduce levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which has been linked to a higher cardiovascular disease risk when present in high levels, says Schlichter. While it’s unclear if folic acid supplementation can actually reduce the risk of heart disease, it may decrease the risk of stroke in people with low folate intake, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Food Sources of Folate

Folate is naturally found in food and abundant in leafy greens, legumes, citrus fruits and more. It’s also added to enriched bread, flour, cereal, pasta and rice.

Here are some of the top folate sources:

• Beef liver: 3 ounces (54% Daily Value)
• Spinach, boiled: ½ cup (33% DV)
• Black-eyed peas, boiled: ½ cup (26% DV)
• Fortified breakfast cereal: 1 ounce (25% DV)
• White rice, cooked: ½ cup (22% DV)
• Asparagus, boiled: 4 spears (22% DV)
• Brussels sprouts, boiled: ½ cup (20% DV)
• Spaghetti, cooked: ½ cup (19% DV)
• Romaine lettuce, shredded: 1 cup (16% DV)
• Avocado: ½ cup (15% DV)
• Broccoli, chopped and cooked: ½ cup (13% DV)
• White bread: 1 slice (13% DV)

Who Could Benefit from a Folate Supplement?

“Women of childbearing age should be particularly vigilant of folate intake through food or supplementation,” says Schlichter. If you’re a female of childbearing age, look for a supplement that contains 400 mcg of folic acid (600 mcg if you’re pregnant, or 500 mcg if you’re breastfeeding).

People with digestive disorders like celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease may also need a folic acid supplement due to impaired absorption. Folate is also a concern for people with alcohol use disorder. Certain medications, such as some cancer and anti-seizure medications, may also impair folate metabolism.

“While research continues to come out, a small percentage of the population has a gene variant and may not properly metabolize folic acid,” says Schlichter. People with this variant, called MTHFR, may require a specialized dietary supplement, she says.

What to Look For in a Folate Supplement

Most healthy people consume enough folate, so it’s unlikely you need a supplement. However, there are some exceptions, particularly females who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant.

On the flip side, consuming large amounts of folic acid may be harmful, especially more than 1,000 mcg per day. While too much folate from food isn’t a concern, our bodies absorb substantially more folic acid from supplements than from food. That can lead to unhealthy folate levels that may mask certain other vitamin deficiencies and could increase the risk of some kinds of cancer, especially in genetically susceptible people.

If you’re concerned that you’re not consuming enough folate or if you think you may carry the MTHFR variant, speak with your health care provider.

The Bottom Line

Folate is found in lots of foods, especially green vegetables, beef liver and fortified cereal, flour, bread, pasta and rice. You can also get folate from fruits, beans, nuts and seeds. So, for most people, a healthy, balanced diet provides all the folate we need. However, there are some exceptions, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant. And if you’re living with celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or alcohol use disorder, you may also need extra folate, so speak to your doctor to find out if supplementation is right for you.