folate
Meaning of folate: Folate is a B vitamin essential for making red blood cells and DNA, distinct from folic acid, its synthetic supplement form.
Definition of folate
Folate is a B vitamin the body needs in small, regular amounts to make red blood cells and to build and repair DNA. It occurs naturally in foods such as leafy green vegetables, legumes, liver, and citrus fruits.
Folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin used in supplements and added to fortified foods such as many breads and cereals, and the body converts folic acid into the active form used by cells, similar to how it processes naturally occurring folate from food.
Because folate is essential for DNA synthesis and cell division, adequate folate is particularly important during early pregnancy, when it helps reduce the risk of certain birth defects affecting the brain and spinal cord, and low folate levels can also contribute to a type of anemia marked by abnormally large red blood cells.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The patient's folate level was checked as part of the evaluation for anemia.
Good to know
Folate and folic acid are often used interchangeably, though folate refers to the form occurring naturally in food while folic acid specifically refers to the synthetic form used in supplements and fortified foods.
Word origin
Where “folate” comes from
Formed from Latin folium, meaning leaf, since folate was first isolated from leafy vegetables.