Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Folic acid is form of vitamin B9, important for cell growth, DNA repair and essential for healthy pregnancies. Found in fortified foods including breads, cereals, flours and rice. It works closely with Vitamin B12.
Folic acid is form of vitamin B9, important for cell growth, DNA repair and essential for healthy pregnancies. Found in fortified foods including breads, cereals, flours and rice. It works closely with Vitamin B12.
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Normal range
Normal range
3.9-26.8 ug/L
3.9-26.8 ug/L
Normal range
3.9-26.8 ug/L
3.9-26.8 ug/L
Normal range
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Folic acid is form of vitamin B9, important for cell growth, DNA repair and essential for healthy pregnancies. Found in fortified foods including breads, cereals, flours and rice. It works closely with Vitamin B12.
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Normal range
3.9-26.8 ug/L
Normal range
3.9-26.8 ug/L
3.9-26.8 ug/L
Normal range
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Folic acid is form of vitamin B9, important for cell growth, DNA repair and essential for healthy pregnancies. Found in fortified foods including breads, cereals, flours and rice. It works closely with Vitamin B12.
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Normal range
3.9-26.8 ug/L
Normal range
3.9-26.8 ug/L
3.9-26.8 ug/L
Normal range
Folic Acid (Vit B9)
Dr. Thiviya Sivakanthan
MBBS
The Cell-Building Vitamin You Can’t Live Without
The Cell-Building Vitamin You Can’t Live Without
Whether you're growing a baby, making new blood, or just trying to keep your brain sharp, your body depends on folic acid. This essential B vitamin plays a central role in DNA production, red blood cell formation, and brain function.
Folic acid is like your body’s construction manager - without it, cell division and repair slow down, energy dips, and important developmental processes grind to a halt. Low levels are especially dangerous in pregnancy, but they can affect anyone, at any stage of life.
Whether you're growing a baby, making new blood, or just trying to keep your brain sharp, your body depends on folic acid. This essential B vitamin plays a central role in DNA production, red blood cell formation, and brain function.
Folic acid is like your body’s construction manager - without it, cell division and repair slow down, energy dips, and important developmental processes grind to a halt. Low levels are especially dangerous in pregnancy, but they can affect anyone, at any stage of life.
When Folic Acid Runs Low
When Folic Acid Runs Low
When Folic Acid Runs Low
Discover how a deficiency in this critical vitamin can quietly lead to fatigue, poor concentration, and long-term health risks.
Read more
The Folic Acid–Health Connection
The Folic Acid–Health Connection
The Folic Acid–Health Connection
Learn why folic acid matters far beyond pregnancy, supporting blood health, brain function, and cardiovascular protection.
Read more
What Drains Your Folic Acid Levels?
What Drains Your Folic Acid Levels?
What Drains Your Folic Acid Levels?
Uncover how diet, alcohol, medications, and even genetics can strip your body of this vital nutrient.
Read more
Understanding Your Results
Understanding Your Results
Understanding Your Results
Decode your folate blood test and what your levels mean for your health today and your long-term resilience.
Read more
When Folic Acid Runs Low
Low folic acid is like trying to build a house with no bricks: your body can’t make new cells properly, especially red blood cells. The result? Tiredness, irritability, and brain fog that creeps up slowly.
In more severe cases, folate deficiency can cause megaloblastic anaemia - a condition where red blood cells become oversized and dysfunctional. This reduces your blood’s ability to carry oxygen, leaving you exhausted even after rest.
In pregnancy, folate deficiency is especially dangerous. It can lead to neural tube defects like spina bifida in unborn babies. That’s why folic acid supplementation is recommended before and during early pregnancy, even before conception if possible.
Other subtle signs of deficiency include mouth ulcers, poor appetite, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. If left unaddressed, low folate levels can increase homocysteine in the blood, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
When Folic Acid Runs Low
Low folic acid is like trying to build a house with no bricks: your body can’t make new cells properly, especially red blood cells. The result? Tiredness, irritability, and brain fog that creeps up slowly.
In more severe cases, folate deficiency can cause megaloblastic anaemia - a condition where red blood cells become oversized and dysfunctional. This reduces your blood’s ability to carry oxygen, leaving you exhausted even after rest.
In pregnancy, folate deficiency is especially dangerous. It can lead to neural tube defects like spina bifida in unborn babies. That’s why folic acid supplementation is recommended before and during early pregnancy, even before conception if possible.
Other subtle signs of deficiency include mouth ulcers, poor appetite, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. If left unaddressed, low folate levels can increase homocysteine in the blood, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
When Folic Acid Runs Low
Low folic acid is like trying to build a house with no bricks: your body can’t make new cells properly, especially red blood cells. The result? Tiredness, irritability, and brain fog that creeps up slowly.
In more severe cases, folate deficiency can cause megaloblastic anaemia - a condition where red blood cells become oversized and dysfunctional. This reduces your blood’s ability to carry oxygen, leaving you exhausted even after rest.
In pregnancy, folate deficiency is especially dangerous. It can lead to neural tube defects like spina bifida in unborn babies. That’s why folic acid supplementation is recommended before and during early pregnancy, even before conception if possible.
Other subtle signs of deficiency include mouth ulcers, poor appetite, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. If left unaddressed, low folate levels can increase homocysteine in the blood, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The Folic Acid–Health Connection
Folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) is a water-soluble B vitamin (B9) involved in:
DNA synthesis and repair: Every time your cells divide or heal, they need folate to copy genetic material accurately.
Red blood cell formation: Alongside vitamin B12, folate helps create healthy red blood cells, keeping you energised and oxygenated.
Brain and mood regulation: Folate plays a role in neurotransmitter production, influencing mood, memory, and cognitive function.
Heart health: It helps lower homocysteine—a compound that, in excess, increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Fertility and pregnancy: Folate is crucial for fetal development, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the baby’s spine and brain form.
A deficiency in folate can affect anyone but is particularly risky for people with high cell turnover (e.g. pregnant women, growing children, cancer patients), people with malabsorption conditions (like coeliac disease), and those on long-term medications.
The Folic Acid–Health Connection
Folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) is a water-soluble B vitamin (B9) involved in:
DNA synthesis and repair: Every time your cells divide or heal, they need folate to copy genetic material accurately.
Red blood cell formation: Alongside vitamin B12, folate helps create healthy red blood cells, keeping you energised and oxygenated.
Brain and mood regulation: Folate plays a role in neurotransmitter production, influencing mood, memory, and cognitive function.
Heart health: It helps lower homocysteine—a compound that, in excess, increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Fertility and pregnancy: Folate is crucial for fetal development, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the baby’s spine and brain form.
A deficiency in folate can affect anyone but is particularly risky for people with high cell turnover (e.g. pregnant women, growing children, cancer patients), people with malabsorption conditions (like coeliac disease), and those on long-term medications.
The Folic Acid–Health Connection
Folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) is a water-soluble B vitamin (B9) involved in:
DNA synthesis and repair: Every time your cells divide or heal, they need folate to copy genetic material accurately.
Red blood cell formation: Alongside vitamin B12, folate helps create healthy red blood cells, keeping you energised and oxygenated.
Brain and mood regulation: Folate plays a role in neurotransmitter production, influencing mood, memory, and cognitive function.
Heart health: It helps lower homocysteine—a compound that, in excess, increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Fertility and pregnancy: Folate is crucial for fetal development, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the baby’s spine and brain form.
A deficiency in folate can affect anyone but is particularly risky for people with high cell turnover (e.g. pregnant women, growing children, cancer patients), people with malabsorption conditions (like coeliac disease), and those on long-term medications.
What Drains Your Folic Acid Levels?
Folic acid is sensitive. It’s easily lost through poor diet, illness, or medications. Here’s what might be depleting your levels:
Inadequate intake: Diets low in leafy greens, legumes, citrus fruits, and fortified grains can fall short of folate requirements.
Alcohol: Excessive alcohol blocks folate absorption and increases its loss through urine—like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
Medications: Common drugs like methotrexate, phenytoin, sulfasalazine, and even long-term proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can interfere with folate metabolism.
Digestive issues: Coeliac disease, Crohn’s, and other malabsorption syndromes reduce your ability to absorb folate from food.
Genetics: Some people have MTHFR gene variants that reduce their ability to convert folic acid into the active form, methylfolate. They may require supplements in a bioavailable form.
What Drains Your Folic Acid Levels?
Folic acid is sensitive. It’s easily lost through poor diet, illness, or medications. Here’s what might be depleting your levels:
Inadequate intake: Diets low in leafy greens, legumes, citrus fruits, and fortified grains can fall short of folate requirements.
Alcohol: Excessive alcohol blocks folate absorption and increases its loss through urine—like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
Medications: Common drugs like methotrexate, phenytoin, sulfasalazine, and even long-term proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can interfere with folate metabolism.
Digestive issues: Coeliac disease, Crohn’s, and other malabsorption syndromes reduce your ability to absorb folate from food.
Genetics: Some people have MTHFR gene variants that reduce their ability to convert folic acid into the active form, methylfolate. They may require supplements in a bioavailable form.
What Drains Your Folic Acid Levels?
Folic acid is sensitive. It’s easily lost through poor diet, illness, or medications. Here’s what might be depleting your levels:
Inadequate intake: Diets low in leafy greens, legumes, citrus fruits, and fortified grains can fall short of folate requirements.
Alcohol: Excessive alcohol blocks folate absorption and increases its loss through urine—like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
Medications: Common drugs like methotrexate, phenytoin, sulfasalazine, and even long-term proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can interfere with folate metabolism.
Digestive issues: Coeliac disease, Crohn’s, and other malabsorption syndromes reduce your ability to absorb folate from food.
Genetics: Some people have MTHFR gene variants that reduce their ability to convert folic acid into the active form, methylfolate. They may require supplements in a bioavailable form.
Understanding Your Results
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is usually measured in the blood as serum folate, which reflects recent dietary intake.
Folic Acid Target Ranges:
Low: ≤ 3.8 µg/L
Normal: 3.9–26.8 µg/L
High: >26.8 µg/L
Low folate levels may suggest
Inadequate dietary intake (e.g. low intake of leafy greens, legumes, or fortified foods)
Increased need (e.g. pregnancy, certain medical conditions)
Malabsorption (e.g. coeliac disease, alcohol misuse)
High folate levels may suggest
Folic acid supplementation
Fortified foods
They're not typically harmful but can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency if taken in excess.
If your levels are borderline or low, the fix is usually simple:
Increase folate-rich foods (like leafy greens, lentils, and fortified cereals)
Take short-term folic acid supplements (typically 400–1000 mcg daily)
During pregnancy or if you're at higher risk (e.g. epilepsy, obesity, or diabetes), higher doses up to 5 mg may be advised, under medical guidance.
Important note: Folate and vitamin B12 work closely together in one-carbon metabolism. Supplementing folic acid without correcting a B12 deficiency can mask symptoms while allowing irreversible nerve damage to progress.
Always check both levels before starting long-term folic acid supplementation.
Understanding Your Results
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is usually measured in the blood as serum folate, which reflects recent dietary intake.
Folic Acid Target Ranges:
Low: ≤ 3.8 µg/L
Normal: 3.9–26.8 µg/L
High: >26.8 µg/L
Low folate levels may suggest
Inadequate dietary intake (e.g. low intake of leafy greens, legumes, or fortified foods)
Increased need (e.g. pregnancy, certain medical conditions)
Malabsorption (e.g. coeliac disease, alcohol misuse)
High folate levels may suggest
Folic acid supplementation
Fortified foods
They're not typically harmful but can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency if taken in excess.
If your levels are borderline or low, the fix is usually simple:
Increase folate-rich foods (like leafy greens, lentils, and fortified cereals)
Take short-term folic acid supplements (typically 400–1000 mcg daily)
During pregnancy or if you're at higher risk (e.g. epilepsy, obesity, or diabetes), higher doses up to 5 mg may be advised, under medical guidance.
Important note: Folate and vitamin B12 work closely together in one-carbon metabolism. Supplementing folic acid without correcting a B12 deficiency can mask symptoms while allowing irreversible nerve damage to progress.
Always check both levels before starting long-term folic acid supplementation.
Understanding Your Results
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is usually measured in the blood as serum folate, which reflects recent dietary intake.
Folic Acid Target Ranges:
Low: ≤ 3.8 µg/L
Normal: 3.9–26.8 µg/L
High: >26.8 µg/L
Low folate levels may suggest
Inadequate dietary intake (e.g. low intake of leafy greens, legumes, or fortified foods)
Increased need (e.g. pregnancy, certain medical conditions)
Malabsorption (e.g. coeliac disease, alcohol misuse)
High folate levels may suggest
Folic acid supplementation
Fortified foods
They're not typically harmful but can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency if taken in excess.
If your levels are borderline or low, the fix is usually simple:
Increase folate-rich foods (like leafy greens, lentils, and fortified cereals)
Take short-term folic acid supplements (typically 400–1000 mcg daily)
During pregnancy or if you're at higher risk (e.g. epilepsy, obesity, or diabetes), higher doses up to 5 mg may be advised, under medical guidance.
Important note: Folate and vitamin B12 work closely together in one-carbon metabolism. Supplementing folic acid without correcting a B12 deficiency can mask symptoms while allowing irreversible nerve damage to progress.
Always check both levels before starting long-term folic acid supplementation.
The Takeaway
Folic acid isn’t just a pregnancy vitamin - it’s a daily necessity for energy, mental clarity, blood health, and long-term disease prevention.A deficiency can creep up quietly, leading to anaemia, mood changes, and fatigue - but it’s also easy to correct with the right support. If you're feeling persistently tired, run down, or planning a pregnancy, checking your folate status is a smart move.
Food-first approaches work best, but supplements can provide an essential safety net when needed. Either way, your body will thank you for rebuilding its vital cellular defences.
The Takeaway
Folic acid isn’t just a pregnancy vitamin - it’s a daily necessity for energy, mental clarity, blood health, and long-term disease prevention.A deficiency can creep up quietly, leading to anaemia, mood changes, and fatigue - but it’s also easy to correct with the right support. If you're feeling persistently tired, run down, or planning a pregnancy, checking your folate status is a smart move.
Food-first approaches work best, but supplements can provide an essential safety net when needed. Either way, your body will thank you for rebuilding its vital cellular defences.
The Takeaway
Folic acid isn’t just a pregnancy vitamin - it’s a daily necessity for energy, mental clarity, blood health, and long-term disease prevention.A deficiency can creep up quietly, leading to anaemia, mood changes, and fatigue - but it’s also easy to correct with the right support. If you're feeling persistently tired, run down, or planning a pregnancy, checking your folate status is a smart move.
Food-first approaches work best, but supplements can provide an essential safety net when needed. Either way, your body will thank you for rebuilding its vital cellular defences.
References
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Antenatal care: folic acid supplementation. 2021.
NHS. Vitamin B9 (Folate). 2020.
British Dietetic Association. Folate – Fact Sheet. 2022.
World Health Organization (WHO). Guideline: Optimal serum and red blood cell folate concentrations in women of reproductive age for prevention of neural tube defects. 2015.
References
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Antenatal care: folic acid supplementation. 2021.
NHS. Vitamin B9 (Folate). 2020.
British Dietetic Association. Folate – Fact Sheet. 2022.
World Health Organization (WHO). Guideline: Optimal serum and red blood cell folate concentrations in women of reproductive age for prevention of neural tube defects. 2015.
References
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Antenatal care: folic acid supplementation. 2021.
NHS. Vitamin B9 (Folate). 2020.
British Dietetic Association. Folate – Fact Sheet. 2022.
World Health Organization (WHO). Guideline: Optimal serum and red blood cell folate concentrations in women of reproductive age for prevention of neural tube defects. 2015.
Research articles
Research articles
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