Folate for Depression: Fabulous Facilitator or Fantastic Flop?

Abstract

it was not until 1930 that Lucy Wills started it on the path to discovery when she found that a yeast extract (Marmite, the bane of monoamine oxidase inhibitor users) prevented macrocytic anemia of pregnancy. Folic acid was named in 1941 after its isolation from four tons of spinach (folium = leaf in Latin). It was synthesized in pure crystalline form in the early 1940s and received the formal name of pteroylglutamic acid because of its structure. If one cares to split hairs, folic acid refers to the chemical compound not found naturally in foods while folate encompasses both natural folates (pteroylglutamates) and synthetic folic acid. Other names that have popped up over the years include vitamin M, vitamin B 9 , and folacin. Dietary sources of this water-soluble B vitamin include dark leafy greens, lentils, and enriched grain products such as cereals, breads, pasta, and rice. In January 1998, the FDA required folic acid fortification of grain products to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Mandatory fortification has not been implemented universally throughout the world for a variety of reasons, including concern about masking symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. 2