Question

Which of the following is NOT a cause of Folic Acid deficiency? : Pregnancy ,Chemotherapy, Alcoholism, Diphyllobothrium latum infestation

Answer 1

Folic acid or Folate (Vitamin B9) is a type of B vitamin which helps to make DNA, repair DNA and produce red blood Cells.Having too little folate (vitamin B9) in your blood causes folic acid deficiency. Let us examine the above given conditions:

Pregnancy: Pregnancy causes folic acid deficiency for several reasons. Our body is slower to absorb folic acid during pregnancy, and the fetus consumes body’s folic acid as it grows. Morning sickness that results in vomiting can cause us to lose folic acid.

Alcoholism: Alcohol interferes with folate absorption. It also increases folate excretion through the urine.Thus resulting into folic acid deficiency.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy also causes deficiencies by promoting anorexia, stomatitis, and alimentary tract disturbances. Antimetabolite drugs in particular inhibit synthesis of essential vitamins, purines, and pyrimidines.Many people receiving chemotherapy for cancer experience drops in their folic acid levels and blood counts due to the effect of certain drugs.

Diphyllobothrium latum infestation: Diphyllobothrium is a genus of tapeworms which can cause diphyllobothriasis in humans through consumption of raw or undercooked fish.While most infections are asymptomatic, complications include intestinal obstruction, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weakness. D. latum may also cause pernicious anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency.

From the above study, we can cleary see, unlike the rest of the three conditions, Diphyllobothrium latum infestation cause's Vitamin B12 dificiency, rather than Vitamin B9 or the folate. Hence we can say that Diphyllobothrium latum infestation is NOT a cause of Folic Acid Deficiency.