folic acid

noun fo·lic acid \ ˈfō-lik- \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of folic acid

: a crystalline vitamin C₁₉H₁₉N₇O₆ of the B complex that is required for normal production of red blood cells, is used especially in the treatment of nutritional anemias, and occurs chiefly in green leafy vegetables, liver, kidneys, dried beans, and mushrooms — called also pteroylglutamic acid

See folic acid defined for kids

Recent Examples of folic acid from the Web

His team was the first to devise a method to synthesize the vitamin folic acid.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "We Are Scientists," 5 June 2018
There are still cases where a supplement is advised (like folic acid for pregnant women), but on the whole, generally healthy adults might as well just skip them, and use the medicine-cabinet space for something else.

— katie heaney, The Cut, "Save Yourself the Money and Skip the Multivitamins," 31 May 2018
In a series of clinical trials, folic acid pills lowered homocysteine levels but had no overall benefit for heart disease, Lichtenstein said.

— liz szabo, chicagotribune.com, "Older Americans are hooked on vitamins despite scarce evidence they work," 6 Apr. 2018
Unfortunately celiac disease is already known to cause deficiencies in zinc, selenium and folic acid, so those who are pregnant and suffering from the disease need to pay special attention to these three vitamins.

— hannah drown, cleveland.com, "How do celiac disease and gluten-free diets impact pregnancy?," 8 May 2018
Designed for pregnant and lactating women, this supplement is high in folic acid, iron, and zinc.

— korin miller, Allure, "Do You Need to Take a Multivitamin? Here's What Nutritionists Say," 3 May 2018
Prenatal vitamins became universal when folic acid deficiency was linked to neural tube defects in babies.

— dr. megan kasper, idahostatesman, "My fellow women: I have a question for you | Idaho Statesman," 23 Mar. 2018
What's important to note is women who choose to consume less carbohydrates might also be opting to eat less folic acid.

— ashley may, USA TODAY, "Gluten free, low-carb diets could pose serious health risks to unborn babies," 25 Jan. 2018
The sturdy green contains vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium and iron.

— jill wendholt silva, kansascity, "Quinoa kale salad keeps healthful eating resolutions on track," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'folic acid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of folic acid

Latin folium

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1941

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

folic acid

noun fo·lic acid \ ˌfō-lik- \

medical Definition of folic acid

: a crystalline vitamin C₁₉H₁₉N₇O₆ of the B complex that is required for normal production of red blood cells, that is used especially in the treatment of nutritional anemias, and that occurs especially in green leafy vegetables, liver, kidneys, dried beans, and mushrooms — called also folacin, folate, Lactobacillus casei factor, pteroylglutamic acid, vitamin B_c, vitamin M