Folate, also called vitamin B9, is an important vitamin which your body needs to make new cells every day. Folic acid is the man-made version of folate. Your body can’t make or store folate, so you need to get it from your diet or by taking (folic acid) supplements.

Foods that are high in folate include:

• Leafy green veggies, like spinach, kale, and cabbage
• Legumes, like chickpeas, beans, and lentils
• Nuts and seeds, like walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.
• Citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons, and limes.
• Fortified grains, which are grains that have extra folic acid added to them, and can be found in some breads, pastas, and cereals.

If you have really low levels of folate, then you may become deficient. The main cause of folate deficiency is not having enough of it in your diet.

If you have severe folate deficiency then it can lead to anaemia. Anaemia is a condition that happens when your body produces fewer red blood cells than normal, and they are worse at getting oxygen around your body.

Anaemia can make you feel weak, tired, and out of breath. It can also cause symptoms like strange feelings on your skin and a strange taste in your mouth.

At Superdrug Online Doctor, we offer a folate blood test kit for you to test your folate (vitamin b9) levels. To order your test kit, simply fill in a short questionnaire and place your order. Your kit will be sent to you by post.

Once you have received your kit, follow these steps:

• Collect a drop of blood from your finger using the lancet (pin-prick device) provided with the kit
• Place the drop of blood in the collection kit
• Use the prepaid envelope to post your sample to our partner lab
• You’ll receive the results of your folate blood test two to three days after the lab receives your kit. A Superdrug doctor will send you advice based on your results.