What is folate?
Folate is B vitamin that is water-soluble — it occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and can be found in supplements and fortified foods.
It gets it’s name from the Latin word “folium,” meaning leaf. Lucy Wills, a researcher, observed 70 years ago that folate as a nutrient is needed to prevent the anemia of pregnancy. Wills discovered that yeast extract could correct anemia and in the late 30s identified and extracted folate from the yeast. Later, folate was extracted from spinach leaves.
Folates participation in the body has to do with helping produce and maintain new cells. It’s particularly important during periods of rapid cell division and growth like infancy and pregnancy. DNA and RNA, the building blocks of all human cells, require folate. It can also help prevent harmful changes to DNA that could lead to cancer. Additionally, folate also is primarily responsible for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of the amino acid.
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