Folate, RBC

Overview:

Serum folate moves with recent intake, so it can look adequate after a good meal even when longer-term stores are low. Red blood cell folate avoids that. Folate is incorporated into red cells as they are made, and because those cells circulate for around three to four months, the level inside them reflects average status across that period rather than what was eaten recently. This makes it the more reliable measure when a deficiency is genuinely suspected. It is worth knowing that results can be affected by vitamin B12 deficiency, so the two are often assessed together.

Categories:

Vitamins & Nutrients, Blood

Biomarkers:

1 biomarker