How Does Folate Benefit Your Health?
While we’re still in the early days of nutritional psychiatry — the study of how nutrition and mood are connected — we do see patterns emerge around certain nutrients and mental health.
I’ve previously highlighted a study that created an antidepressant food scale by combing through the research to find which nutrients are significant for brain health and then categorizing foods that are rich in those nutrients.
You can find that list here: Which Foods Make The Cut In Fighting Depression?
Today, we’re going to look at one vitamin in particular from that list, folate.
Folate, or vitamin B9, has numerous benefits that can support your overall physical and mental health.
But in particular, there has been some interesting research around folate and depression.
I’m Dr. Antonella Aguilera-Ruiz, a California virtual naturopathic doctor, and today we’ll take a look at some general information about folate, as well as its potential benefits for depression.
What Is Folate (Vitamin B9)?
Folate is an essential vitamin, vitamin B9, that’s naturally found in a variety of foods.
It’s a water soluble vitamin, which means when you eat foods with folate, your body uses what it can and passes any extra out through your urine.
This is true of all the B complex vitamins, as well as vitamin C.
Compare that with fat soluble vitamins, like vitamin D and E, which your body can store in your fatty tissues.
Folate is sometimes used as a general term for the different types of vitamin B9, but there are others as well.
In particular, you may see folic acid listed on your supplements, or in fortified foods.
This is a synthetic form of vitamin B9.
Why Is There No Vitamin B8?
In the early days of nutritional science research, there actually were 12 different substances that counted as B vitamins.
However, there are two requirements a micronutrient needs to meet in order to meet the definition of a vitamin.
First, vitamins are essential for normal human growth and function.
Second, vitamins can’t be produced inside your body, so you need to get them through diet.
What was once thought of as vitamin B8 is known as inositol.
It's a type of sugar that does have its health benefits, and you can find it in some foods as well.
It’s even included in some B complex supplements.
However, your body also produces it, primarily in your kidneys.
Therefore, it no longer meets the definition of what a vitamin is.
But it’s not a mineral either – these are chemical elements your body needs to function properly.
Think back to your high school chemistry class – remember the periodic table of the elements?
Each of the essential minerals in your diet – calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and the rest – are on there.
And inositol isn’t.
Folate And Depression
Folate plays an important role in mental health because it’s involved in neurotransmitter production and regulation.
It also has an anti-inflammatory effect as it’s able to convert the amino acid homocysteine to methionine.
It’s also a key factor in neurological function.
That’s the reason why supplementation is so important prenatally to avoid neural tube defects in babies.
Earlier data has looked at those with depression and compared their folate levels.
It seems that about 30% of those with severe depression also have a folate deficiency.
Researchers have looked at folate in a variety of different studies and found that it can be an effective add on to antidepressant treatment.
In 2021, researchers compiled data around folate and antidepressant use.
Using this data, they were able to show that adding folate to antidepressant treatment improved the response rate to the medication by 36% and the remission rate of depression by 39%.
That’s a big deal.
Two clinical guidelines, currently, recommended folate as an add on treatment to pharmaceuticals.
The British Association of Pharmacology recommends it as a next step after medication.
As well, the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments recommends it as a third-line consideration.
Both of the above guidelines recommend a specific bio active form of folate called methylfolate (5-MTHF).
Now, it’s important to remember that some people who receive antidepressant treatment may not respond to treatment.
As a result, the evidence for methylfolate represents a potentially effective vitamin option to be considered to augment treatment or to be considered for treatment resistant depression.
RELATED: Virtual Naturopathic Depression Treatments And Support
RELATED: Can Turmeric Help With Depression?
What Foods Are High In Folate?
There are many food options that naturally contain a high amount of folate.
Incorporating high folate foods into your diet can help promote your body’s function and benefit your health.
Folate can be found in a variety of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and some animal products.
In fact, the name folate comes from the Latin word folium, which means leaf.
That’s because we first found it in spinach leaves, where it’s abundant.
In fact, dark leafy greens in general are a great source of folate.
Here’s a list of some great dietary sources of folate:
Spinach
Kale
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Romaine lettuce
Mustard greens
Asparagus
Green peas
Kidney beans
Beef liver
Eggs
Avocado
Broccoli
Sunflower seeds
Collard greens
Tomato juice
Peanuts
Oranges
Bananas and plantains
Cantaloupe
Grapefruit
If you’re not sure how to incorporate some of these into your diet, consider these recipes below:
What Does Folate Deficiency Look Like?
We talked about how folate deficiency is associated with depression above.
But what are the other signs of folate deficiency?
General symptoms of folate deficiency can include:
Fatigue
Difficulty focusing
Weakness
Irritability
Headaches
Heart palpitations
Changes in color in your skin, nails, or hair
Sores inside the mouth or on the tongue
True deficiency in folate is fairly rare, but certain conditions can make you more susceptible to it.
These include:
Being pregnant
Misusing alcohol
Having an irritable bowel disorder, like celiac disease or Crohn’s
Can You Take Too Much Folate?
Before we talk about this, it’s important to note that it’s virtually impossible to get too much folate, called folate toxicity, through diet alone.
It’s only through supplementing that you can overdo it.
But if you do feel any effects, they’re likely to be mild.
One main factor that contributes to this is the fact that folate is water soluble.
Your body uses what it can, and then gets rid of the rest through your urine.
However, if you do take too much of it, you may experience diarrhea or an upset stomach.
Long term folate toxicity can come with other health issues as well, so it’s best to supplement only under the direction of your naturopathic doctor.
Book Your Appointment With Wild Lemon Health Today
Have you been dealing with depression and wondering how a natural approach can help?
I’m Dr. Antonella Aguilera-Ruiz, a telehealth naturopathic doctor in California, and together we can devise a nutrition plan that benefits your long term health.
If you’re curious how we can help, be sure to book a call below.
We’ll talk about your health goals and concerns, I’ll answer your questions, and from there we’ll look at how naturopathic medicine can help.
