Folic acid (the anion form is called folate) is a B-complex vitamin (once called
vitamin M) that is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the
developing human fetus.
Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate occurs
naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin that is found in
supplements and fortified foods. Folate gets its name from the Latin word folium,
leaf. A key observation of researcher Lucy Wills nearly 70 years ago led to the
identification of folate as the nutrient needed to prevent the anemia of pregnancy.
Dr. Wills demonstrated that the anemia could be corrected by a yeast extract.
Folate was identified as the corrective substance in yeast extract in the late 1930s
and was extracted from spinach leaves in 1941. Folate is necessary for the
production and maintenance of new cells. This is especially important during periods
of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to
make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA
that may lead to cancer. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red
blood cells and prevent anemia.
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