Water soluble vitamins and health - Folate

20 important questions on Water soluble vitamins and health - Folate

What are folates form a chemical perspective?

From a chemical perspective, all folates have the same backbone, but they vary from each other mainly with respect to the presence of side groups attached to the backbone, mostly a methyl group, and the number of glutamate groups.

What needs to happen to the folates in order to be absorbed.

The folates contain usually multiple glutamate groups. They need to be removed  by an enzyme until one glutamate is left (monoglutamate) in order to be absorbed. by the intestinal cells.
So there are specific tanrport protiens that require energy to take up these folates.

What happens to the monoglutamet in the intestinal cells?

They are rapidly converted into folates containing multiple glutamate groups. This happens in order to prevent the vitamin form being pumped out of the cell and thus is an important part of the regulation of folate uptake.

So first you cut them of en now you put them back on again.
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How is folates exported from the intestinal cells to the blood?

This is done by a folate export group.


Because folate pumps do not transport folates with multiple glutamate groups, these forms are retained within the cell until being shortened.

In which form is folate transported to the tissues?

Folate is transported to the tissues, including the liver, mainly as monoglutamate in the plasma, mostly loosely-bound to plasma proteins like albumin.

How are folates taken up in the target cells?

Folates are taken up in target cells by the same process by which they were taken up by the intestinal cells, which means by specific transport proteins

What is one of the most important functions of folates?

Most important is the capacity of folates to accept or donate methyl groups.


These reactions are required for many basal physiological functions, such as the conversion of amino acids, production of blood cells, regulation of the activity of genes, or synthesis of new DNA during cell division.

What is the active form of folate in the body?

tetrahydrofolate

What is a methyl donor?

A methyl donor is any substance that can transfer a methyl group, a one carbon unit, to another substance.

Why is folate imported for rapedly growing cells?

Folate is also involved in the synthesis of DNA and RNA, the molecules that carry genetic information in cells.
Synthesis of DNA is especially important in rapidly-growing cells, such as red blood cells.
Folates are therefore essential for normal cell division and proper growth.

How is folate and cancer connected?

Folate might influence the development of cancer through its role in DNA silencing, DNA replication and cell division, but the exact way of action of folates is still unclear.


Evidence to date indicates that adequate intake of natural folates might reduce the risk of some forms of cancer.



However, high doses of supplemental folic acid are correlated with increased colon cancer risk in individuals with a history of colorectal adenomas, and increased prostate cancer risk in men.

How can you get a folate deficiency?

Folate deficiency can result from inadequate intake, defective absorption, abnormal metabolism or increased requirements

How do they diagnose folate deficiency's?

Diagnosis of folate deficiency relies on the demonstration of reduced red cell folate concentrations or other biochemical evidence such as increased blood concentrations of the amino acid homocysteine.

What are early symptomes of folate deficiency?

non-specific and may include tiredness, irritability and loss of appetite.

What are things you can get when you have severe folate deficiency?

Severe folate deficiency leads to megaloblastic anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow produces giant, immature and dysfunctional red blood cells. At an advanced stage of anemia, symptoms of weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, irritability, headache, and irregular heartbeats appear. If left untreated, megaloblastic anemia may be fatal.

Deficiency during pregnancy may result in premature birth, low infant birth weight and fetal growth retardation. In children, growth may be retarded and puberty delayed.

In what kind of products can folate be found?

Folate is found naturally in a wide variety of foods, including vegetables (especially dark green leafy vegetables), fruits and fruit juices, nuts, beans, peas, dairy products, eggs, seafood, and grains.
Spinach, liver, yeast, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts are among the foods with the highest levels of folate.

What is the DRA of folate?

400 mg

On what is the DRA dependend?

Age and pregnancy

What is Spina Befida?

Spina Bifida is a birth defect where the spine does not properly close during development of the embryo.

Why is it a concern that a lot of people eat extra folate trough fortified products?

  • Extra folate may hide a deficiency of vitamin B12. Vitamin
    B12 deficiency leads to anemia and can also cause damage to the nerves. High doses of folate can prevent the development of anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency but do not influence nerve damage.
  • Extra folate may influence risk of chronic diseases via so called epigenetic mechanisms (The attachment of methyl tags to the DNA can turn genes on or off, thereby affecting the function of the DNA and of cells)

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