Vitamin B9

What is the difference between folate and folic acid?

Updated 9 Nov 2026

Short answer

Folate is the name for all forms of vitamin B9. Folic acid is the synthetic form in fortified foods and most supplements.[1] The body absorbs about 85% of folic acid taken with food and about 50% of the folate in food. This is why labels use dietary folate equivalents (DFE): 1 µg DFE is 1 µg of food folate or 0.6 µg of folic acid taken with food.[1]

Sources (1)

  1. Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov

More about vitamin b9

What is vitamin B9?Which foods contain folate?What is vitamin B9 used for?Who is likely to be low in folate?Is vitamin B9 safe?How long does folic acid take to raise folate levels?

For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.