Folate, and the synthetic supplement, folic acid, are water-soluble vitamins that are important for multiple synthetic processes including nucleic acids and hematopoietic stem cells. Folate deficiency is known to be correlated with increased risk of neural tube defects, megaloblastic anemia, and neurological impairment. Deficiency can occur due to inadequate intake, malabsorption, or genetic mutations, resulting in decreased uptake or transport of the vitamin. There are a variety of food sources that are good natural sources of folic acid. Folic acid is widely used to fortify enriched grains in many countries to reduce risk of neural tube defects.