nutrient
Vitamin B9 (folate)
A group of water-soluble compounds that carry one-carbon units for DNA synthesis, cell division and amino-acid metabolism.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Folate occurs naturally in foods; folic acid is the stable form used in many fortified foods and supplements. Dietary folate equivalents account for different bioavailability contexts.
Food sources
Per 100 g| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 194 µg |
| Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018) | 181 µg |
| Hass avocado, raw | 129 µg |
| Spinach | 116 µg |
| Ground flaxseed | 41.4 µg |
Show 16 more foods
| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Mature carrots, raw | 37.1 µg |
| Hummus, commercial | 36 µg |
| Almonds, dry-roasted and salted | 35 µg |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018) | 34 µg |
| Rolled oats | 32 µg |
| Pie pumpkin, raw | 31 µg |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 26 µg |
| Navel orange, raw | 25 µg |
| Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable | 19.7 µg |
| Banana, ripe, raw | 14 µg |
| Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 12 µg |
| Grape tomatoes, raw | 10 µg |
| Cottage cheese, 2% fat | 10 µg |
| Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018) | 10 µg |
| Carrots, frozen and unprepared | 7 µg |
| Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified | 2 µg |
This comparison requires the USDA folate DFE field. Total folate in µg is not interchangeable with dietary folate equivalents.
About these amounts
These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.
Healthy European adults. Population reference intake: 330 µg DFE/day. These are population references, not individual targets.
Portions recorded by the source
- Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 12.2 µg.
- Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 47.25 µg.
- Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 22 µg.
- Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 4.92 µg.
The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.
How it works
What it does
Folate coenzymes transfer one-carbon units needed for nucleotide synthesis and methylation reactions. These pathways support rapidly dividing cells and red-blood-cell formation. Folic acid is used in public-health fortification because it is stable and well absorbed, but food folate and folic acid remain distinct records.
Where it comes from
Leafy vegetables, legumes and fortified grain products contribute different folate forms. DFE is the accounting convention used for mixed food-folate and folic-acid intakes.
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
5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate) is a form of Vitamin B9 (folate).
5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate) 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
Roles and processes
Vitamin B9 (folate) supports formation of Red blood cells
Folate-dependent nucleotide synthesis supports division of red-blood-cell precursors.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Related topics
Food folate is a reported component of Vitamin B9 (folate)
Food folate is the naturally occurring component reported separately from folic acid.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-16 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Dietary folate equivalents expresses Vitamin B9 (folate)
DFE expresses folate using an availability-adjusted accounting unit.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-16 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Worth knowing
Why folate uses DFE. Dietary folate equivalents (DFE) account for the different absorption of natural food folate and folic acid. A total-folate figure in a food database is not automatically a DFE figure.
A closer look
Folate and B12 work together
Folate and B12 support related reactions in cell metabolism. Large amounts of folate can correct the anaemia caused by B12 deficiency without correcting its neurological damage. Pregnancy and medicines add separate considerations for supplement use.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Folate: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-05
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Dietary Reference Values for nutrients: Summary reportChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central Foundation Foods, April 2026 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central SR Legacy, April 2018 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for magnesiumChecked 2026-09-04
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-04
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData CentralChecked 2026-09-04
Take it into the kitchen
Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.
Coconut lentil spinach soup · 20 min →
Sesame edamame rice · 18 min →
Avocado edamame toast · 15 min →
Compare meals by vitamin b9 (folate) →