By Susan Harrow Rago, RD, MS Folate is the form of a particular B vitamin found in foods. Folate is the generic term for all forms of this vitamin.
Folic acid is the man-made or synthetic form of the vitamin.
It is found in fortified foods and vitamin supplements. Folic acid is better absorbed and more readily available to the body than folate. These include commercial breads, cereals, and pastas. Items made from enriched flour products also supply folic acid. Enriched grain products must be fortified with folic acid.