Diseases

Folic Acid Deficiency

A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of FOLIC ACID in the diet. Many plant and animal tissues contain folic acid, abundant in green leafy vegetables, yeast, liver, and mushrooms but destroyed by long-term cooking. Alcohol interferes with its intermediate metabolism and absorption. Folic acid deficiency may develop in long-term anticonvulsant therapy or with use of oral contraceptives. This deficiency causes anemia, macrocytic anemia, and megaloblastic anemia. It is indistinguishable from vitamin B 12 deficiency in peripheral blood and bone marrow findings, but the neurologic lesions seen in B 12 deficiency do not occur. (Merck Manual, 16th ed)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of FOLIC ACID in the diet. Many plant and animal tissues contain folic acid, abundant in green leafy vegetables, yeast, liver, and mushrooms but destroyed by long-term cooking. Alcohol interferes with its intermediate metabolism and absorption. Folic acid deficiency may develop in long-term anticonvulsant therapy or with use of oral contraceptives. This deficiency causes anemia, macrocytic anemia, and megaloblastic anemia. It is indistinguishable from vitamin B 12 deficiency in peripheral blood and bone marrow findings, but the neurologic lesions seen in B 12 deficiency do not occur. (Merck Manual, 16th ed)

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Synonyms

5 entry terms
  • Deficiency, Folic Acid
  • Acid Deficiencies, Folic
  • Acid Deficiency, Folic
  • Deficiencies, Folic Acid
  • Folic Acid Deficiencies

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Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

History Note

66(64)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. C18.654w.521w.500.133w.699.308w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QU 188

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Folic Acid Deficiency. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D005494. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D005494
  2. Folic Acid Deficiency. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folate_deficiency
  3. Folic Acid Deficiency. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2915477