Abstract
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin present in diets as naturally occurring polyglutamyl food folates or as monoglutamyl synthetic folic acid (in fortified foods and supplements). Folate coenzymes function in the acceptance and donation of one-carbon entities critical to nucleotide synthesis, cellular methylation reactions, and amino acid metabolism. Genetic variants in folate-metabolizing genes may lead to metabolic abnormalities that have been linked in some cases with disease and birth defect risk particularly under conditions of suboptimal folate status. Folate intake recommendations consider differences in the bioavailability of folate, which varies depending on the source (naturally occurring food folate is less bioavailable than folic acid in fortified foods or supplements). A separate folic acid intake recommendation along with folic acid fortification of the food supply in the United States, and numerous other countries, is specifically designed to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects.
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