Folate deficiency

Folate ( Vit B9 ) - water soluble vitamin Terms folic acid / folate - in nature found as folate whereas folic acid is the synthetic form available therapeutically Folate is absorbed in the terminal ileum and stored mostly in liver Found in abundance in fruits , green leafy vegetables and liver Important in formation of several co-enzymes in several metabolic systems particularly for purine and pyrimidine synthesis , nucleoprotein synthesis and maintenance of erythropoiesis Particularly important during periods of rapid cell division and growth as pregnancy & infancy Some nations have added folate to grains to avoid neural tube defects ( fortified )

dietary deficiency as alcoholism , veganism , low stores & intake by breastfed infants malabsorption ( gastric atrophy & malabsorption from food , pernicious anemia , ileal disease , chronic pancreatitis ) increased need for pregnancy and lactation ↑ requirement when peripheral red cell destruction occurs or abnormal hemopoiesis manifested by ↑ ed red cell requirements or thrombocytopenia e,g sickle cell disease and haemolytic anaemias antifolate medication use as cholestyramine , sulfasalazine , methotrexate parasitic infections haemodialysis.

Deficiency manifests 1st where rapid turn over of cell takes place as in bone marrow ( megaloblastic anaemia )...