Megaloblastic anaemia due to folic acid deficiency is commonly due to -: (A) Inadequate dietary intake, (B) Defective intestinal absorption, (C) Absence of folic acid binding protein in serum, (D) Absence of glutamic acid in the Intestine
Answer is A. <p>Most dietary folate is present as polyglutamates;these are conveed to monoglutamate in the upper small intestine & actively transpoed into plasma.Plasma folate is loosely bound to plasma proteins such as proteins such as albumin & there is an enterohepatic circulation.Total body stores of folate are small & deficiency can occur in a matter of weeks</p><p>Serum folate is very insensitive to dietary intake; a single meal can normalise it in a patient with true folate deficiency.</p><p>Reference :Davidson&;s Principles & Practice of Medicine 22nd edition pg no1025</p>