Tag: Pteroylglutamic acid

According to the National Institutes of Health, folate, the natural form of vitamin B9, is found in foods, while the man-made form is called folic acid. This distinction is critical to understanding the different names this vital nutrient, also known as folic acid, can be called in various contexts, from supplements to food labels.

Folic acid was first isolated from spinach in 1941, deriving its name from the Latin word *folium*, meaning 'leaf'. While this B vitamin is essential for human health, understanding what is folic acid made up of at a molecular level reveals its complex yet elegant chemical architecture.

The CDC reports that mandatory folic acid fortification of grain products has significantly reduced the prevalence of neural tube defects since its implementation. This highlights the importance of understanding the different forms of this nutrient, prompting many to ask, "what is the other name for vitamin folate?". In fact, this essential nutrient is known by several key aliases, each with a distinct meaning in nutrition and biochemistry.