Aoife Hearne: My teen's folate levels are low — is there a supplement to take?
My teen refuses to touch a green vegetable on his plate
Folate is an important B vitamin, also known by its synthetic form, folic acid. While there is often a lot of focus on adequate folate levels regarding fertility and foetal development during pregnancy, folate is also essential to help the body form healthy red blood cells.
When someone has a folate deficiency, it causes the body to produce abnormally large blood cells that cannot function properly. And since red blood cells transport oxygen around the body, folate deficiency can lead to extreme tiredness and lack of energy.
As you rightly identified, folate is found in leafy green vegetables. Foods such as cabbage, kale, spinach, and broccoli are good sources of folate.
Other good sources are chickpeas, kidney beans, peas and fortified foods. (Chickpeas and kidney beans could be added to soups or casseroles.) It would be worthwhile considering if your son is open to adding more of these foods into his daily or weekly diet.
While food first is always my recommended approach, it is worth mentioning that folate found naturally in food has a lower bioavailability, meaning it is not as well absorbed as a supplemental form. Therefore, since your son is not eating enough folate-rich foods right now, it is probably worth supplementing until his levels return to normal range. Doing this, alongside increasing his dietary folate, will reduce his reliance on supplementation.
Consider these two points if you go down the supplementation route:
- First, it is essential to understand that supplements are not regulated in the same way as human medicinal products are. In the past 20 years, there have been cases where supplements have been found to have ingredients not listed on the label. Therefore, it is important to stick with well-known brands and use tools like eirpharm.com or sport.wetestyoutrust.com to check that supplements are certified.
- Secondly, for folic acid supplementation specifically, it is critical not to take too much as this can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency. The HSE advises that taking 1mg or less daily is unlikely to cause harm.
Low folate levels and deficiency can be caused by inadequate intake of folate-rich foods and malabsorption issues. Coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease can impact the absorption of folate and other nutrients due to the impact these conditions have on the gut.
It would be advisable to discuss these issues with your GP and work with a CORU-registered dietitian to ensure your son is supported in including more folate-rich foods in his diet and the cause of the low folate levels is addressed.
If you have a question for dietitian Aoife Hearne, please send it to parenting@examiner.ie
