Folic acid deficiency does the same thing as radiation.

What you want to know is... does it shorten your life? You can do those kinds of questions in mice, but those are expensive to do and no one's been really doing them.

For example, in Vitamin K, the clotting proteins get it first... and only after they're satisfied do you prevent calcification of the arteries, or prevent cancer, or prevent bone fractures. It's all insidious damage that you get that's a long term consequence. In fact, we call these the diseases of aging.

The obese are eating the worst diet in the country if you define worse as ratio of calories to essential micronutrients. They're just eating empty calories.