DefinitionFolate deficiency means you have a lower-than-normal amount of folic acid, a type of B vitamin, in your blood.See also: Folic acidAlternative NamesDeficiency - folic acid, Folic acid deficiencyCauses, incidence, and risk factorsFolic acid works along with vitamin B12 and vitamin C to help the body break down, use, and create new proteins. The vitamin helps form red blood cells and produce DNA, the building block of the human body, which carries genetic information.Folic acid is a type of B vitamin. It is water-soluble, which means it cannot be stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine.Because folate is not stored in the body in large amounts, you need a continual supply of this vitamin through yo