Lucy Wills' key observations 70 years ago led to the identification of folate as the nutrient needed to prevent anemia and other defects during pregnancy. Folic acid (the anion form is called folate) is a B-complex vitamin (once called vitamin M) that is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the developing human fetus. ... This article discusses the medical condition. ... Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. ...
She demonstrated anemia can be corrected by a substance in yeast extract - Folate or folic acid which is a water-soluble B vitamin. Yeast extract is the common name for yeast autolysates, that is, concentrations of yeast cells that are allowed to die and break up, so that the yeasts digestive enzymes break their proteins down into simpler compounds. ... Folic acid (the anion form is called folate) is a B-complex vitamin (once called vitamin M) that is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the developing human fetus. ... Folic acid and folate (the anion form) are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. ... A vitamin is an organic molecule required by a living organism in minute amounts for proper health. ...