Folic acid test
Overview. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate or vitamin B9, which is essential for healthy red blood cells. A folic acid test is usually ordered to check for a lack of folate or Vitamin B9. The procedure consists of a simple blood test. Your doctor interprets the results relayed by a lab technician. A particular drawback of testing vitamin B12 levels is that the current widely-used blood test only measures the total amount of vitamin B12 in your blood. This means it measures forms of vitamin B12 that are active and can be used by your body, as well as the inactive forms, which can't. If a significant amount of the vitamin B12 in your blood is inactive, a blood test may show that you have normal B12 levels, even though your body cannot use much of it. These tests can often help identify people with a possible vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, but they are not necessarily conclusive, because some people can have problems with normal levels of these vitamins, and others can have low levels despite having no symptoms. This test measures the levels of vitamin B12 and folate in your blood. Your body needs vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, and folate, also called folic acid, to function normally. Both nutrients play important roles in creating red blood cells and making DNA and RNA to help build cells. If the test is done on your blood plasma, a normal range for folate is 2 to 10 ng/mL. If the test is done on red blood cells, a normal range is 140 to 960 ng/mL. B12 and folate levels may be ordered when a complete blood count (CBC) and/or blood smear, done as part of a health checkup or an evaluation for anemia, indicates a low red blood cell (RBC) count with the presence of large RBCs. Specifically, a high mean corpuscular volume (MCV) indicates that the RBCs are enlarged. Other laboratory tests that may be used to help detect B12 and folate deficiencies include homocysteine and methylmelonic acid (MMA) . Homocysteine and MMA are elevated in B12 deficiency while only homocysteine, and not MMA, is elevated in folate deficiency. The folate (folic acid) test measures the amount of folate in the blood. Folate and folic acid are forms of B9 vitamin. Quantity: * Whole number only. The folate (folic acid) test measures the amount of folate in the blood. Folate and folic acid are forms of B9 vitamin. Folate is found in many foods and folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin. Vitamin B12 and folate are separate tests often used in conjunction to detect deficiencies and to help diagnose the cause of certain anemias, such as pernicious anemia, an autoimmune disease that affects the absorption of B12. Other laboratory tests that may be used to help detect B12 and folate deficiencies include homocysteine and methylmelonic acid (MMA) . Homocysteine and MMA are elevated in B12 deficiency while only homocysteine, and not MMA, is elevated in folate deficiency. Test Overview. A folic acid test measures the amount of folic acid in the blood. Folic acid is one of many B vitamins. The body needs folic acid to make red blood cells (RBC) , white blood cells (WBC) , and platelets, and for normal growth. Folic acid also is important for the normal development of a baby (fetus). Folic acid can be measured in the liquid portion of blood (plasma). This reflects a person's recent intake of folic acid in the diet. Folic acid is found in foods such as liver; citrus fruits; dark green, leafy vegetables (spinach); whole grains; cereals with added B vitamins; beans; milk; kidney; and yeast. Folic acid can also be measured as the amount in the red blood cells. A folic acid test measures the amount of folic acid in the blood. Folic acid is one of many B vitamins. The body needs folic acid to make red blood cells (RBC) , white blood cells (WBC) , and platelets, and for normal growth. Folic acid also is important for the normal development of a baby (fetus). Folic acid is found in foods such as liver; citrus fruits; dark green, leafy vegetables (spinach); whole grains; cereals with added B vitamins; beans; milk; kidney; and yeast. Folic acid can also be measured as the amount in the red blood cells. 1 High folic acid levels can also mean a vitamin B12 deficiency. 2  Body cells need vitamin B12 to use folic acid. 3  So if vitamin B12 levels are very low, folic acid can't be used by the cells, and high levels of it may build up in the blood. 4  But a folic acid test is not a reliable way to test for a vitamin B12 deficiency. Folic acid is found in foods such as liver; citrus fruits; dark green, leafy vegetables (spinach); whole grains; cereals with added B vitamins; beans; milk; kidney; and yeast. Folic acid can also be measured as the amount in the red blood cells.
http://www.healthline.com/health/folic-acid-test http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anaemia-vitamin-B12-and-folate-deficiency/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=vitamin_b12_folate https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/vitamin-b12/tab/test http://www.healthtestingcenters.com/folate-folic-acid.aspx https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/vitamin-b12/tab/test http://www.webmd.com/diet/folic-acid http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/medicaltests/content.asp?hwid=hw6522 http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/medicaltests/content.asp?hwid=hw6522
which blood test is for folate