Folate and Food Allergies

by Shereen Jegtvig

A recent study reported in WebMd.com shows a possible correlation between blood levels of folate (a B vitamin) and allergies.  Full-blown folate deficiencies are uncommon in the United States because breads and cereals are fortified with folic acid, which is the dietary supplemental form of folate.  What’s interesting is that this study shows that even having lower than average blood levels of folate may be related to having more allergies.

You Want Folate, But Not Additives and Allergens

Folate is naturally found in…

…spinach, fruits, fruit juices and dry beans such as navy, pinto and black beans.  Of course if you want to increase your intake of folate, you don’t want to increase your intake of extra artificial food colorings or unnecessary additives.  For example, many fruit drinks contain artificial colorings that you don’t want in your kids’ diet (or your diet for that matter).  Just look at the brands of kids’ fruit juices that contain artificial red 40 coloring.

Another thing to consider is the presence of allergens.  Think a three-bean salad would be a great way to get extra folate?  It is, but what if you’re also sensitive to corn?  You can use the FoodEssentials tool to take a look at canned mixed beans to check for the presence of cereals.

Most of the brands listed are OK for cereals; however two of them contain corn, including one of the three-bean salads.

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• What are BHA and BHT?
• Tree Nut Allergies