Folate Folic Acid

About Folate Folic Acid

Folate, named from the Latin folium for leaf because it was first isolated from spinach leaves, occurs naturally in foods as tetrahydrofolate derivatives, while folic acid is the synthetic form used in supplements and food fortification. Recommended intakes are expressed as dietary folate equivalents and increase in pregnancy and lactation. Folate carries one carbon units needed for DNA synthesis and methylation reactions. Its best known role is in preventing neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly, because the neural tube closes within the first weeks after conception, often before pregnancy is recognized. For this reason public health bodies advise folic acid for women who could become pregnant, and folic acid fortification of enriched grain products was mandated in the United States in 1998, followed by a clear fall in neural tube defects. Deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia. Folic acid can correct the anemia of B12 deficiency while the nerve damage progresses, which is why B12 status is checked when folate deficiency is treated.