Oral Chelation Folate Deficiency

Folate deficiency is a form of anemia in which the amount of red blood cells are decreased due to a lack of folic acid in the blood. Folic acid is a B vitamin that also goes by the names folacin, folate, pteroylglutamic acid and Vitamin B9. Vitamin B9 is essential for the creation of new cells in the body. Oral chelation is a type of therapy often used for detoxification purposes. Chelation entails ingestion of a substance known to bind itself to another substance, such as a heavy metal like lead, to remove it from the body. Oral chelation therapy can be used to help treat folate deficiency.

About Folic Acid

• Folic acid is a naturally occurring vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, fruit and whole grain products. It can also be obtained through vitamin supplementation. Because it is necessary for new cell formation, it is often taken in supplemental form during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester when women are most at risk for developing a deficiency.

Folic Acid Deficiency

• The reasons for folic acid deficiency include lack of dietary intake, medications and celiac disease, which prevents proper absorption of Vitamin B9 into the bloodstream from the diet. Anemia caused by folate deficiency results in the formation of abnormally large blood cells known as megalocytes. The medical community also believes that folate deficiency increases with age, and vigilance must be taken to prevent it along with other deficiencies related to aging.

What Is Oral Chelation Therapy?

• Oral chelation therapy is the attempt to improve health by using a "chelating agent," a substance which binds itself to toxic elements and transports them out of body, usually through the process of urination. Chelation therapy can be administered intravenously or orally in pill form. Nutritional deficiencies are often linked to cardiovascular disease. Because toxic elements in the blood can contribute to these deficiencies, it may be necessary to treat the presence of these elements with some form of chelation therapy.

Dietary Considerations

• Oral chelation should not be considered a cure-all for any deficiencies within the body. Maile Pouls, Ph.D., Extreme Health's director of research, has noted that "when sufficient levels of certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are maintained in the body, the continued absorption of specific heavy metals is greatly reduced." This means that oral chelation therapy can be used only in conjunction with a well-balanced diet that provides the body with the proper nutrients in the first place.

How to Use Oral Chelation

• Although oral chelation therapy is probably best administered under the direction of a physician or other medical professional, there are a number of websites purporting to offer products capable of providing the detoxification benefits of this type of therapy. Most of these sites advocate the use of a chelating agent such as EDTA, a well-known amino acid capable of binding itself to toxic metals to remove them from the body. Most of these sites offer a particular product designed to do this. It is best to be careful and fully research the product being offered before making any purchases.

Oral Chelation and Folate Deficiency

• Oral chelation therapy can be an effective treatment for folate deficiency because the chelating agent or agents bond with toxic elements within the body and remove them in the process. The removal of toxins results in the improvement of oxygen flow throughout the body and increases the body's ability to deliver nutrients, including folic acid, to other tissues within the body. Used over the course of time, oral chelation therapy can be an effective method of improving folate deficiency so long as the diet already contains an adequate amount of folic acid.