Folic acid may mask pernicious anemia
 

Can someone more learned them myself please explain this:

"Folic acid may mask pernicious anemia (may be mitigated by B12 component)."

Thanks,
Marty

Taking large amounts of folic acid when B12 is low, masks the symptoms and therefore damage to the nervous system progresses, without intervention. This is a complex biochemical system and putting up all the chemistry is just complicated and not necessary for most people reading here. It can be found on the net easily.

With the food fortification in our country as it is, this issue comes up more now. That is why getting a serum B12 level is important, if someone has neurological symptoms.

And this is why in this country folic acid 1mg or higher requires a doctor's prescription. (but sadly not all doctors screen for B12 levels before giving that prescription out, or even worse, they are allowing low levels as "normal", when in other countries that cut off is much higher :rolleyes: )

The reason I ask is my b12 level has always been in the low 300's. It has been improving since I started talking b12 methy. I guess if I look at my blood test it will tell me what my folic is at and there by I can determine if folic has been masking.

Thanks mrsD

Pernicious anemia is not the same as Low B12.

Low B12 over long periods of time may result in the "anemia", but many do not. In other words, not everyone has anemia.
Pernicious anemia is an old term that referred to people, mostly genetic and running in families, who had no intrinisic factor in the stomach, either due to autoimmune or genetic failure, or lack of stomach acid.

Pernicious anemia has low red cells as a presenting symptom.
Folate masks that anemia...that is what "mask" means.

I don't think today pernicious anemia is used as much, since low B12 results in neurological symptoms way before the anemia becomes visible.

Oh ok that makes sense, Thanks a bunch mrsD!