A 72-year-old woman, in otherwise good health, presents with megaloblastic anemia. Careful evaluation reveals a folate deficiency as the cause of the anemia. Assuming the folate deficiency is due to dietary causes, which of the following is the most likely problem?

A. Lack of leafy green vegetables
B. Lack of milk products
C. Lack of red meat
D. Lack of yellow vegetables
E. Overcooked food

A

The correct answer is E. Folates (pteroylglutamic acid and related compounds) are widely distributed in foodstuffs. Dietary deficiency is usually due to overcooked (folates are very labile) and old (folates rapidly decay with time) food.