Folic Acid

Folic acid or folacin (Latin:folium-leaf) is abundantly found in green leafy vegetables. It is important for one carbon metabolism and is required for the synthesis of certain amino acids, purines and the pyrimidine- thymine. 

Sources 

• Folic acid is widely distributed in nature. The rich sources are green leafy vegetables, whole grains, cereals, liver, kidney, yeast and eggs. Milk is rather a poor source of folic acid. 

Deficiency

• Folic acid deficiency is probably the most common vitamin deficiency, observed primarily in the pregnant women, in both developed and developing countries. 
• The pregnant women, lactating women, women on oral contraceptives, and alcoholics are also susceptible to folate deficiency. 
• The folic acid deficiency may be due to (one or more causes) inadequate dietary intake, defective absorption, use of anticonvulsant drugs (phenobarbitone, dilantin, phenyltoin), and increased demand.