Folate deficiency typically stems from three buckets: low intake (limited vegetables/legumes or restrictive diets), absorption issues (certain gut disorders or chronic digestive problems), and increased demand (pregnancy, growth phases). Chronic alcohol use can impair folate metabolism. Some medications can also interfere with folate pathways, making clinical review important when drugs are involved. When deficiency is identified, supplementation alone is not the full solution—finding and managing the root cause (diet quality, gut health, and coexisting deficiencies such as B12 or iron) is what delivers durable correction.