After being diagnosed with a folate deficiency, your doctor is likely to make several recommendations for treating the condition. Some will be broad forms of treatment that are intended for anyone who is otherwise healthy. In other instances, existing health conditions may call for specific approaches to dealing with and eventually correcting the lack of enough folate or folic acid in the body. The good news is there are simple treatments that can correct the situation in a short period of time.
Instructions
1. Consider medication. This is a common approach when a pregnancy or some other factor that impacts estrogen levels is present along with the deficiency. The prescription drugs, sometimes in the form of shots, can help to correct the situation without complicating any other health issues.
2. Make some lifestyle changes. This will involve eliminating substances and habits that have made the folate deficiency possible. If you smoke or use tobacco in any form, kick the habit immediately. Minimize or eliminate alcoholic beverages from daily consumption. The use of illegal substances can also often deplete the body of essential nutrients, including folate. Break those habits as well.
3. Revamp the daily diet. This will mean including more of some foods and a lot less of others. Green leafy vegetables are a great source of folic acid. Include kale, turnip greens and collards in your meals. Opt for whole grain breads rather than bleached white bread. Bean sprouts will add interest to a garden salad and also help to increase your folate intake. Soy products, especially soybeans, are a tasty option. Eggs and yogurt are also quick and easy ways to increase low folate levels in the body.
4. Think about supplements. Folate or folic acid is often included in multivitamin formulas. Also, B-complex supplements will include folate, which is also known as vitamin B9. As an alternative to vitamin supplements, there are also herbs such as Slippery Elm, Peppermint, Ginseng and Barberry that can provide equitable sources of folate.
5. Cut back on the stress level. Stress depletes a number of nutrients in the body, with folate being among them. Find creative ways to manage stress that cannot be avoided, while also eliminating sources of stress that are not essential to maintaining your quality of life.
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