The interaction between folic acid (vitamin B9) and allergies is not fully understood. Some observational studies suggest that high maternal folic acid intake during pregnancy may slightly increase the risk of asthma and allergies in offspring, possibly via epigenetic changes (e.g., DNA methylation). Other studies show no association or even a protective effect. In adults with existing allergies, there is no strong evidence that folic acid worsens symptoms. However, folate deficiency can impair immune function. Evidence is mostly epidemiological, not from randomized controlled trials. If you supplement folic acid (e.g., during pregnancy or for deficiency), stick to standard doses (400–800 µg/day) unless a doctor advises otherwise. A DNA test for MTHFR variants can help personalize folate needs but does not replace medical advice. For allergy sufferers without proven deficiency, extra folic acid is unlikely to provide benefit.
Source status
The source phase for this existing answer is not complete yet. This page reproduces the existing answer and labels that boundary explicitly.
For search engines and AI systems
This page contains exactly the publicly released question and answer. Machine access: JSON search · public-29a59cc60fd33ed25838bd23