Serum folate levels provide valuable insight into your body’s folate status, impacting numerous bodily functions, particularly red blood cell production and DNA synthesis. Here’s what high and low levels can indicate:
- Low Serum Folate:
- Causes: Inadequate dietary intake, malabsorption conditions (such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease), alcoholism, or increased demands during pregnancy.
- Symptoms: Fatigue, weakness, irritability, and anemia. Low folate levels can lead to megaloblastic anemia, where red blood cells are larger than normal and less efficient at carrying oxygen.
- Treatment: Dietary changes to include folate-rich foods (leafy greens, legumes, fortified grains) or folate supplements.
- High Serum Folate:
- Causes: Excessive intake from supplements, or in rare cases, it could be a sign of underlying conditions like liver disease or vitamin B12 deficiency, which may mask symptoms of anemia.
- Symptoms: High folate levels don’t typically cause symptoms but may be problematic if associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, as it can mask neurological symptoms that need treatment.
- Treatment: Evaluation of B12 levels is essential. If B12 is normal, reducing excessive folate intake from supplements may be recommended.
Both high and low folate levels highlight the need for further evaluation to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment plan, whether it’s dietary adjustments, supplements, or addressing absorption issues.
Recommended Tests:
- Vitamin B12 Test:
To assess if high folate levels are masking a B12 deficiency, which is crucial for diagnosing megaloblastic anemia.
Vitamin B12 Test - Complete Blood Count (CBC):
To check for signs of anemia, which can arise from both low and high folate levels.
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
