Folic acid is a water
soluble B vitamin. It is a key player in DNA synthesis and metabolic processes.
Folate is a generic term that refers to the many different chemical forms of
the water-soluble vitamin found naturally in foods. One of the modified forms of
folate is folic acid. It is rarely found in nature, but is the form used in supplements
and enriched foods.
Folic acid is chemically less complex and therefore is more bioavailable than folate
found in food. It only has one glutamic acid, whereas naturally occurring food folate has
multiple glutamic acid molecules. These must be cleaved in the intestine prior to
absorption. The naturally occuring structure limits the body's ability to completely
digest and absorb folate so that it can get into the bloodstream.
