DefinitionFolate-deficiency anemia is a decrease in red blood cells (anemia) due to a lack of folate.Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues.Causes, incidence, and risk factorsFolate, also called folic acid, is necessary for red blood cell formation and growth. You can get folate by eating green leafy vegetables and liver. Because folate is not stored in the body in large amounts, you need to get a continual supply of this vitamin through diet to maintain normal levels.In folate-deficiency anemia, the red cells are abnormally large. These large cells are called megalocytes, or megaloblasts in the bone marrow. That is why this anemia can also be called megaloblastic anemia.Causes of this anemia are: