Microblog: Is Folate-Deficiency a Concern on a Carnivore Diet?

Is folate-deficiency a concern on a carnivore diet?

 

Maybe.

 

🤰🏻Folate is important for basic cell function and cell growth, helps make red blood cells and DNA, and needed for a healthy pregnancy.

 

💧Folate is a water-soluble vitamin, it can’t be stored in your body for long periods—folate stores in the liver, tissues and blood.

 

Folate deficiency can be caused by:
🤕 Infection/health condition that causes inflammation, cancer, sickle cell anemia

 

🥴 Digestive disorders that cause malabsorption

 

🍷Excessive alcohol use

 

💊 Use of medications including – antacids, NSAIDs, contraceptives, estrogen, anti-diabetics, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, barbiturates, methotrexate (used to treat psoriasis/cancer/arthritis)

 

💡CONSIDERATIONS
Since there have been discussions around folate, I find many carnivore clients starting to test their folate levels; some of them find that they are low.

 

❓What were their folate levels before?
Spinach is one of the highest foods in folate, but we also know about spinach’s antinutrients and less available nutrients.

 

🫘Other high folate foods:
Cooked chickpeas, lentils, edamame, boiled beans, soy flour, wheat germ, spinach, seaweed, turnip greens

 

⁉️How often do most SAD dieters eat these foods? (Not often IMO)

 

So then, how do we know if we are sufficient in folate when we rarely test for folate?

 

Most people eating a carnivore diet:
🥩Tout they rarely get sick
🥩Their digestion improves
🥩Are rarely anemic (if you are, check h.Pylori or parasites)
🥩Have improved mood

 

❓Is folate deficiency more so because of the diseases commonly seen with folate deficiency?
Most of these illnesses subside on a Carnivore diet.

 

💡If I were pregnant or breastfeeding, I’d keep an eye on my folate levels. If I show folate deficiency symptoms I’d monitor my folate. But otherwise, I wouldn’t worry too much.

 

🩸Check your homocysteine levels; if they are above 7 mcmol/L, you may need a methylated B supplement.

 

⚠️But folate from beef liver (supplements) will barely move the needle. Tomorrow, I will share why (and also source for folate).