The Surprising Health Problems from Not Enough Folate
Learn the surprising ways that vitamin B9 (a.k.a. folate or folic acid) supports our health, how much we actually need, and the best food sources.
Why care about getting enough vitamin B9 (folate) from our diets? Vitamin B9 is an essential B vitamin that plays roles in blood cell production, the formation of genetic material (including DNA), and cell growth and function. It’s particularly important during pregnancy, when folate demands increase due to the rapid creation of new cells and DNA. Along with helping protect against fetal development problems, folate can support cardiovascular health, potentially protect against certain cancers, and reduce the risk of cognitive and neurological disorders later in life.
Folate, also called folic acid or vitamin B9, is an oft-discussed but commonly misunderstood B vitamin. “Folate” is a generic term that refers to both naturally occurring dietary folates as well as a synthetic version called folic acid, which is used in fortified food and supplements due to its enhanced stability during processing and storage.
Folate was first discovered in 1931, when a researcher named Lucy Wills identified a substance present in liver and yeast that could prevent rats and pregnant humans from developing anemia. Over the next decade, this nutrient was given a number of different names (including vitamin M, Lactobacillus casei factor, factor ‘S,’ vitamin BC, and norit eluate factor!) before finally being termed folic acid—deriving from the Latin word for leaf, folium, and referring to its initial isolation from spinach.
Like other B vitamins, folate is needed for producing healthy blood cells; it’s also required for healthy cell growth and function, and for making important genetic material like DNA.
Natural food sources of folate include liver and other organ meats, green leafy vegetables (like spinach and lettuce), asparagus, avocados, Brussels sprouts, legumes (including peas and lentils), eggs, beets, citrus fruits, orange juice, strawberries, pomegranates, broccoli, nuts, and seeds. Many processed grain products like cornmeal and breakfast cereals are also fortified with folic acid.
This article explains the biological roles of vitamin B9, the difference between folate and folic acid, the interactions between dietary vitamin B9 and our risk of over a dozen health conditions, symptoms and signs that we’re getting too little vitamin B9, how much vitamin B9 we need by demographic, and shares the top 25 best common whole (non-enriched) food sources of vitamin B9. Paid subscribers also can download a printer-friendly PDF version of this information below!
The Biological Roles of Vitamin B9
Unlike some of the B vitamins, which can have hundreds of functions in the body, the
