It’s easy to forget that our bodies are made up of trillions of cells that get damaged and are replaced by new ones every day. Folate is the vitamin that fuels this daily process and eating a diet of high folate foods will ensure cells reproduce to protect your health. Since folate is responsible for producing red blood cells, lack of this vitamin can lead to anemia and other serious conditions. With a few simple adjustments to your diet, you can avoid uncomfortable symptoms and enhance your wellbeing.
What are high folate foods?
Folate or vitamin B9 is prevalent in liver. Although most animal liver are great sources of folate, turkey provides the most. Among other top high folate foods are green leafy vegetables such as spinach and collard greens. Soy beans, pinto beans, asparagus, okra and peanuts also rank high. Some fruits you should include into your diet are oranges, bananas, tomatoes, watermelons and lemons. Pay close attention to how you prepare these foods, especially vegetables. Boiling, grilling, baking and broiling food too long might cause folate to be lost. Therefore, try to eat food as raw as possible.
When it comes to breads and cereals read food labels very carefully. Some products contain satisfactory amounts of folate that are added to increase nutritional value. The same goes for many fruit juices. If you can find products with added vitamin B9 at your local store, they can make great additions to your folate diet.
What are the benefits of high folate foods?
One of the most important functions of folate is to produce red blood cells. Red blood cells are necessary for taking oxygen to cells and bringing up carbon dioxide into the lungs to be expelled. Without enough of these cells, anemia follows. Symptoms of anemia caused by deficiency include loss of the sense of touch, tingling, paranoia, stiffness, hallucinations and difficulty in walking. High folate foods paired with medical treatment can prevent and cure anemia.
Taking supplements
Folate supplements are usually prescribed for patients who display symptoms of anemia. An intake of this vitamin can also support your bowels by allowing essential minerals, vitamins and other substances to be absorbed. It is not unusual for people to take supplements as prevention for certain cancers, liver complications, kidney disease and to improve memory.
Who should increase folate or vitamin B9 intake?
Most of the time, folate is recommended to children and the elderly. It plays a vital part in growth for development for children and can restore functions such as hearing and memory loss in mature adults. Men and women of all ages also find it useful for treating infertility, Alzheimer’s disease and alcohol-related conditions.
Folate supplements prescribed by a doctor are safe to take but please consult for a diagnosis before purchasing over the counter medication. A diet that includes high folate foods is preferred because it causes little to no side effects and you can reap the health rewards of eating a healthy meal plan.
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