Could I Be Deficient In Folic Acid?

As folic acid, one of the B vitamins, is water soluble, it is possible for the body to lose it relatively easily in the urine and if stocks are not replenished by enough folic acid in the diet, yes, it is possible to develop a deficiency.

Folic acid is needed in larger amounts and may be excreted in greater quantities during pregnancy and breastfeeding, in an alcoholic, in people with digestive disorders, in which poor absorption is a problem, in people undergoing kidney dialysis, in liver disease and in some cases of anaemia. Anti-epilepsy medicines and some medicines prescribed for the treatment of diabetes Type II can also interfere with folic acid uptake.

The symptoms of folic acid deficiency depends on the type of person affected. Pregnant women deficient in the vitamin show few outward signs but their unborn baby is at greater risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Infants and children have a slower than normal growth rate and adults can develop anaemia.