Folate, vitamin B9
Folate is an essential vitamin for heart health and making body cells and red blood cells
Folates are a family of essential nutrients obtained from natural sources, and the term folic acid is reserved for the manufactured form used as dietary supplements.
What does folate do in our bodies?
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Folate is a water-soluble vitamin.
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Folate is a B vitamin that is naturally present in many foods.
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Folate is also known as vitamin B9.
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Folate is the generic term for naturally occurring food folates and folates in fortified foods and dietary supplements, including folic acid.
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Folic acid is a form of folate, and folic acid is used in fortified foods and most dietary supplements.
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Folate is an essential vitamin required by our bodies; folate is needed for body cells to divide and make new cells.
Vitamin B9: folate & folic acid
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Folate is involved in protein metabolism and the synthesis of DNA and RNA in the body cells.
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Folate is also essential in creating new blood cells, as folate works with vitamin B12 to form hemoglobin in red blood cells.
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Folate is a critical nutrient during periods of rapid growth, such as during pregnancy and fetal development.
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Furthermore, folate helps lower plasma homocysteine levels and decreases cardiovascular disease risks.
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Homocysteine is a type of amino acid. Our bodies use homocysteine to make proteins for our body's needs.
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Vitamin B6, B12, and folate break down homocysteine and change it into other substances our body needs.
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Usually, there should be very little homocysteine left in the bloodstream; however, if the homocysteine level is high in plasma, it can exert harmful effects on the body and may be linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
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Folate plays a crucial role in breaking down homocysteine and lowering its concentration in plasma which may help protect against heart disease.
More importantly for pregnancy, folate is an essential vitamin for the fetus's developing brain and spinal cord. Folate is vital in lowering the risk of delivering babies with brain or spinal cord defects.
Folates
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin. Folate is a B vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. Folic acid is a form of folate, and folic acid is used in fortified foods and most dietary supplements.
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Human bodies cannot make folate, so it is required in the diet, making it an essential nutrient. Folate is vital to our nutritional needs.
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Folate is naturally found in many foods.
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In dietary supplements and fortified foods, folic acid is added; folic acid is converted into folate by the body.
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Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate; folic acid is more stable during the processing of the manufacturing process and storage. Therefore, folic acid is manufactured and used as a dietary supplement in food fortification.
DFE - Dietary Folate Equivalents
DFE reflects the higher bioavailability of folic acid than that of food folate.
Folates are a family of essential nutrients related to folic acid obtained from natural sources, and the term folic acid is reserved for the manufactured form that is used as a dietary supplement.
At least 85% of folic acid is estimated to be bioavailable when taken with food, whereas only about 50% of folate naturally present in food is bioavailable.
The Dietary Folate Equivalent is abbreviated as DFE, and mcg means microgram.
One mcg DFE = one mcg of food folate
One mcg DFE = 0.6 mcg folic acid from fortified foods and dietary supplements consumed with foods
One mcg DFE= 0.5 mcg folic acid from dietary supplements taken on an empty stomach.
The RDAs for folate are given as mcg of Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE).
The RDA of folate for people 14 years and older is 400 micrograms DFE. The RDA of folate for pregnant teens and women 14 to 50 years old is 600 micrograms DFE. The RDA for breastfeeding teens and women 14 to 50 is 500 micrograms DFE.
How much folate do we need?
The RDA of folate is listed as micrograms (mcg) of dietary folate equivalents (DFEs). The mcg DFE is used because our bodies absorb more folic acid from fortified foods and dietary supplements than folate found naturally in foods.
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Folic acid is better absorbed than folate from natural food: at least 85% of folic acid is estimated to be absorbed (bioavailable) when taken with food, whereas only about 50% of folate naturally present in food is bioavailable.
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One microgram of folate equals 0.6 micrograms of folic acid from fortified foods or dietary supplements consumed with foods.
The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of folate:
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Folate, naturally present in food and beverages, is not harmful. However, you should not consume folate in supplements, fortified foods, and drinks in amounts above the upper limit (UL) unless recommended by your health care provider.
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There are health risks from excessive folate. The daily upper limit (UL) for folate from supplements, fortified foods, and beverages is 800 micrograms for teens 14-18 and 1000 micrograms for adults 19 and older. The ULs do not apply to individuals taking high doses of supplemental folate under medical supervision.
ULs in mcg (microgram) for the synthetic forms of folate available in dietary supplements and fortified foods are listed in the following table.The ULs do not apply to individuals taking high doses of supplemental folate under medical supervision.
​Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
What is RDA? RDA means Recommended Dietary Allowance; RDA is the dietary intake value that represents what you need to take daily. RDA is the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals.
​Tolerable Upper Intake Leve (UL):
What is UL? UL means the tolerable upper intake level. This means the highest average daily nutrient intake level likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in a given life stage and gender group.
What foods provide folate?
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A wide variety of foods naturally contain folate. However, the form that is added to foods and supplements is folic acid. Folic acid is better absorbed than folate.
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Folate is naturally present in Beef liver, Vegetables such as asparagus and Brussels sprouts, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and mustard greens, Nuts, Beans, and peas.
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Folic acid is added to the following foods: enriched flour, bread, cornmeal, rice and pasta; fortified breakfast cereals.
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To determine whether and how much folic acid is added to the food, read its nutrition facts label.
The top 12 folate foods are:
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Beef liver
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Spinach
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Black-eyed peas
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Asparagus
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Brussels sprouts
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Lettuce
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Avocado
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Broccoli
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Mustard greens
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Green peas
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Kidney beans
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Wheat germ
Enriched and Fortified:
"Enriched": what does "enriched" mean?
Here, we would like to explain the term “enriched”:
"Enriched' means a food to which nutrients are added to replace the same nutrients that were lost in processing.
For example, niacin was lost during the various grains processing and added to the manufactured grain products. Therefore, there are niacin-enriched flour and other grain products.
"Fortified": What does "fortified" mean?
"fortified" means foods to which nutrients are added that were not present originally or nutrients are added that increase the amount already present.
Folate and Healthful Diets
Our nutritional needs should be met primarily through foods because foods provide various nutrients and other healthy components. Foods contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other nutrients that are beneficial for our health. In some situations and cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are helpful when it is impossible to meet the needs for one or more nutrients.
A healthy dietary pattern was described by “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans” as one that:
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Includes a variety of vegetables; fruits; grains, and whole grains; milk, yogurt, cheese; and oils. Many vegetables and fruits are good sources of folate.
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Includes various protein foods, such as lean meats; poultry; eggs; seafood; beans, peas, lentils; nuts and seeds; and soy products. Beef liver has high amounts of folate. Beans and peas, nuts, and eggs also contain folate.
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Limits foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
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Limits alcoholic beverages.
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Stays within your daily calorie needs.
References:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/, updated on November 30, 2022
Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1998.
Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements (2006) ISBN 978-0-309-10091-5 | DOI 10.17226/11537
Bailey LB, Caudill MA. Folate. In: Erdman JW, Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 10th ed. Washington, DC: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012:321-42.
Carmel R. Folic acid. In: Shils M, Shike M, Ross A, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 11th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005:470-81.
https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
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