Special Report
WHAT’S THE FUSS ABOUT Folate?
Dr Justine Butler, Senior Researcher & Writer, Viva!Health
Folate is a type of B vitamin that is essential to good health. It helps our nerves function properly and is integral for a baby’s brain and spinal cord development during pregnancy. Many countries fortify flour and grain products with folic acid to help prevent spinal cord defects, so is it time we fortified too? What are the arguments against it?
Its name sounds like ‘foliage’, which is pretty accurate, as folate is derived from the Latin word folium, which means leaf – providing a clue as to some of its best sources. But there are other sources, too.
The terms folate and folic acid are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t quite the same thing. Folate occurs naturally in foods, while folic acid is the synthetic form, which is added to some processed foods, flour and breakfast cereals.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
Folate is crucial for normal brain and nerve function, for the production of the body’s genetic material (DNA and RNA), cell reproduction and, together with vitamin B12, is needed for red blood cell formation. Along with vitamins B6 and B12, it also helps to control blood levels of the amino acid, homocysteine – high levels of which are associated with cardiovascular disease. Sufficient folate is crucial during the first weeks of pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects in babies.