FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY

Course overview

FOLATE IS AN ESSENTIAL WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMIN, NATURALLY PRESENT IN FOOD, ESPECIALLY IN FRUITS, GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES, AND LIVER. FOLIC ACID IS THE SYNTHESIZED FORM OF FOLATE PRESENT IN FORTIFIED FOODS AND SUPPLEMENTS AND HAS A HIGHER BIOAVAILABILITY THAN NATURALLY OCCURRING FOLATE. FOLATE HAS BEEN ADDED TO GRAINS IN THE UNITED STATES, TO PREVENT CONGENITAL DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS, AS IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE FORMATION OF SEVERAL COENZYMES IN MANY METABOLIC SYSTEMS AND MAINTENANCE IN ERYTHROPOIESIS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF FOLATE DEFICIENCY AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING, DIAGNOSING, AND MANAGING THE CONDITION.