Folate is a B vitamin your body draws on to copy DNA and divide cells, the steps behind making fresh red blood cells. This test measures the amount circulating in your blood. This test checks your folate levels. Your doctor may order it when looking into anaemia (low red blood cells) or when planning for pregnancy.

What is a normal cell-building B vitamin range?

A typical adult range is around Normal serum folate: >3.0 ng/mL; Deficiency: <2.0 ng/mL (WHO 2015). No India-specific national reference interval is published for this parameter; your lab's printed range is the most reliable comparison. Ranges vary by lab, method and equipment — the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result.

Folate — What It Means in Your Blood Test

Q: What does a high Folate result mean?

A high level is usually not a problem. It often just means you take more folate in supplements than your body needs from food.

Q: What does a low Folate result mean?

A low level can cause a type of anaemia with larger red blood cells, and leave you tired. In early pregnancy it can raise the risk of certain birth problems.

Q: What can affect your Folate result?

Several everyday factors can influence it, including Leafy greens and beans, Alcohol, Pregnancy and breastfeeding, Some medicines like methotrexate, Gut absorption problems.

New to reading lab reports? Start with our guide to reading a blood test report

Folate helps your body build new cells and make healthy red blood cells, and it matters most in early pregnancy.

A Folate reading reveals how well stocked you are in this B vitamin. Because it fuels fresh cells and matters greatly around early pregnancy, the number offers useful reassurance or a gentle prompt.

Also known as: folic acid, folacin, vitamin B9, serum folate, pteroylglutamic acid

Kept in balance

This isn't a case where higher or lower is better. Your body keeps it in a narrow band, and both directions can matter.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-16

What is Folate?

Folate is a B vitamin your body draws on to copy DNA and divide cells, the steps behind making fresh red blood cells. This test measures the amount circulating in your blood.

Why is Folate tested?

This test checks your folate levels. Your doctor may order it when looking into anaemia (low red blood cells) or when planning for pregnancy.

What is a normal Folate range?

India: No India-specific national reference interval is published for this parameter; your lab's printed range is the most reliable comparison.
Global: Normal serum folate: >3.0 ng/mL; Deficiency: <2.0 ng/mL (WHO 2015)

Ranges vary by lab, method and equipment — the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result.

Source: [WHO, 2015]

What does your Folate value mean?

There is no widely-accepted set of value bands for this parameter. Compare your result with the reference range printed on your own report, and discuss it with your doctor.

What does a high Folate result mean?

A high level is usually not a problem. It often just means you take more folate in supplements than your body needs from food.

What does a low Folate result mean?

A low level can cause a type of anaemia with larger red blood cells, and leave you tired. In early pregnancy it can raise the risk of certain birth problems.

What can affect your Folate result?

Leafy greens and beans
Alcohol
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Some medicines like methotrexate
Gut absorption problems

In the Indian context

In India, diets low in green vegetables can make folate shortage more likely. The ICMR treats folate supplements in pregnancy as a public health priority.

Questions to ask your doctor

About this result

What does my Folate result mean for me specifically, given my age and health?
Is my Folate in the range that is right for me, not just the lab's general range?

What to do next

Could anything I eat, do, or take have affected my cell-building B vitamin result?
Is there anything I should do about my Folate, or is it fine to leave as it is?

About retesting

Does my Folate need to be repeated, and if so, when?
The typical range for Folate can vary between labs — should I compare my result against my own lab's printed range?

The bigger picture

Should my Folate be looked at together with my Vitamin D (25-OH) and Vitamin B12 result?
Does my Folate connect to any condition I already have, or to anything I have noticed in how I feel?

Frequently asked questions

What is Folate?: Folate is a B vitamin your body draws on to copy DNA and divide cells, the steps behind making fresh red blood cells. This test measures the amount circulating in your blood. This test checks your folate levels. Your doctor may order it when looking into anaemia (low red blood cells) or when planning for pregnancy.
What is a normal cell-building B vitamin range?: A typical adult range is around Normal serum folate: >3.0 ng/mL; Deficiency: <2.0 ng/mL (WHO 2015). No India-specific national reference interval is published for this parameter; your lab's printed range is the most reliable comparison. Ranges vary by lab, method and equipment — the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result.
What does a high Folate result mean?: A high level is usually not a problem. It often just means you take more folate in supplements than your body needs from food.
What does a low Folate result mean?: A low level can cause a type of anaemia with larger red blood cells, and leave you tired. In early pregnancy it can raise the risk of certain birth problems.
What can affect your Folate result?: Several everyday factors can influence it, including Leafy greens and beans, Alcohol, Pregnancy and breastfeeding, Some medicines like methotrexate, Gut absorption problems.

Sources

WHO (2015) — Serum and red blood cell folate concentrations for assessing folate status in populations, WHO Guidelines

Part of the Vitamins

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