Folic acid is also called folate. It is another B vitamin. Either a lack of vitamin B-12 or a lack of folate causes a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia (pernicious anemia). With these types of anemia, the red blood cells don’t develop normally. They are very large. And they are shaped like an oval. Healthy red blood cells are round. This causes the bone marrow to make fewer red blood cells. In some cases, the red blood cells die sooner than normal.
