nutrient
Folic acid
A stable synthetic form of folate used in fortified foods and supplements.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Folic acid is more bioavailable than food folate in some contexts, which is why EFSA uses dietary folate equivalents for mixed intakes.
How it works
What the form means
Folic acid is the form used for food fortification and many supplements. Keep its amount and consumption context visible rather than equating it directly with the same mass of food folate.
Forms
Folic acid is a form of Vitamin B9 (folate).
Folic acid is a named chemical form within its parent vitamin family.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Worth knowing
The fortified-food form. Folic acid is a stable manufactured form of folate used in many fortified foods and supplements. Food folates are naturally occurring forms, so a label that says “folic acid” is giving useful information about source form.
A closer look
Why folate amounts use DFE
Dietary folate equivalents combine food folate and folic acid while accounting for their different bioavailability contexts. The unit helps compare vitamin activity across sources; a microgram of folic acid is not counted the same as a microgram of natural food folate.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
Take it into the kitchen
Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.
Kidney bean pepper tacos · 20 min →
Chicken corn tortilla fold · 20 min →
Crunchy cabbage hummus tacos · 12 min →
Compare meals by folic acid →