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NUTRIENTS & INFLAMMATION
Also printed as: Folic acid · Vitamin B9 · Serum folate
Educational only — not medical advice.
Folate is a B vitamin used to build DNA and to make healthy red blood cells. It comes from leafy greens, legumes, and fortified grains, as well as supplements. It works closely with B12, which is why the two are usually tested together.
Folate and B12 produce similar changes in red blood cells, so telling them apart matters. Folate is also specifically important before and during pregnancy, which is why it is often checked in that context.
TYPICAL ADULT RANGE
Many labs report above roughly 3–5.9 ng/mL as sufficient for adults. Ranges vary by lab. Reported in ng/mL.
Reference ranges vary by lab, by method, and by age and sex. Always read your own result against the range printed on your report.
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Low folate is less common than it used to be because many grain products are fortified, but it still happens — a diet light on vegetables and legumes, regular alcohol intake, pregnancy (which increases demand), and some medications that interfere with folate all lower it. Malabsorption conditions contribute too. Because low folate and low B12 look similar in the blood, your doctor will typically check both before deciding anything.
A high folate is nearly always supplementation or fortified foods, and it is generally not treated as a problem on its own. The one thing clinicians watch for is a high folate masking a low B12, since folate can partially correct the red cell changes while leaving nerve effects unaddressed. That is precisely why the two are ordered together, and it is a reasonable thing to ask your doctor to confirm.
Your doctor is the one who can read this number against your history, symptoms, and medications.
Educational only — not medical advice. Lab results only mean something alongside your history, symptoms, medications, and the rest of your panel. Bring questions to your doctor; they are the one who can interpret your results for you.
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