Folate and Vitamin B12 is used to help diagnose the cause of anamia or neuropathy (nerve damage), to evaluate nutritional status in some patients, to monitor effectiveness of treatment for B 12or folate deficiency.
Folate and Vitamin B12 measure the concentration of folate and vitamin B12 in the serum (liquid portion of the blood).
Vitamin B12 and folate are both part of the B complex of vitamins. Folate is found in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dry beans and peas, liver, and yeast. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products such as red meat, fish, poultry, milk, and eggs. In recent years fortified cereals, breads, and other grain productshas also become an important dietary sources of folate (identified as “folic acid” on nutritional labels).