There's a lot of talk today about vitamin B9, also called folate, folic acid, or 5-MTHF. This vitamin is so important for so many functions in the body. To avoid unnecessary confusion, let's start by clarifying the differences between these terms.
What is folate?
Folate is a family of naturally occurring, water-soluble forms of vitamin B9. It's one of our important B vitamins that we need to get every day.
We can find folate in green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, but also in citrus fruits, bananas, beans, and several other foods!
Keep in mind that folate is heat-sensitive and is easily destroyed when heated.
If you have difficulty raising your folate levels, it's probably not enough to just eat folate-rich foods. This can be due to diseases and genetic factors that make it difficult to metabolize folate from food, so folate supplements may also be needed.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is what people have often talked about when referring to vitamin B9, but it's a synthetic, water-soluble form that's common in dietary supplements.
Even though folic acid can be easy to absorb in the intestines, some people have problems metabolizing folic acid from supplements. The folic acid form can even inhibit methylation and block natural folate. It's an enzyme, the DHFR enzyme, that gets blocked by folic acid.
It's common today to have disruptions in the MTHFR gene that prevent folic acid from being used by the body until it's converted to folate. A DNA test can tell you what your genes look like.
Overdosing on folic acid, especially when taken as supplements, can cause sleep problems and irritability. Some people may lose their appetite or feel nauseous.
What is 5-MTHF?
5-methyltetrahydrofolate, or 5-MTHF, is a natural form of vitamin B9 and the most biologically active form. It's easy for the body to absorb and use, which is why it has become popular in supplements in recent years.
Research suggests that 5-MTHF is more effective as a supplement than folic acid. The simplest way to solve the problem with folic acid is to use 5-MTHF supplements that don't require a series of chemical reactions for your body to use it properly, since 5-MTHF is already bioactive.
Folate can also mask damage to the nervous system caused by B12 deficiency-related blood disorders, but 5-MTHF does not.
Health Benefits of Folate and 5-MTHF
It's especially important that pregnant women get plenty of folate at the beginning of pregnancy, but also for a period before becoming pregnant, since folate is needed for the fetus's nervous system development and reduces the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus. Men should also ensure they don't suffer from folate deficiency before and during the time they're trying to conceive. (It takes about 3 months for a sperm to be ready for ejaculation.) The beneficial effect is achieved with a daily intake of at least 400 µg (=micrograms) folic acid for three months before and at least three months after conception.Folate also contributes to normal amino acid synthesis, normal blood formation, normal homocysteine metabolism, and normal immune system function. Additionally, it can reduce fatigue and exhaustion.
It's difficult to determine on your own whether you have a folate deficiency. Your nutritional therapist has tests to establish this.
Just like with all other individual B vitamins, you get the best effect if you also take a broad-spectrum supplement of the entire family of different B vitamins.
You can read about how it's used therapeutically in various applications through specialized resources on nutritional therapy.
Helhetshälsa
EKO-Folic Acid is a Swedish product from Helhetshälsa and is a vegetarian, active folic acid supplement consisting of 500 µg methylfolate (i.e., 5-MTHF) from organic spinach.
EKO-Folic Acid comes in 60 vegetarian capsules with a dose of 500 µg. Dosing for adults is 1 capsule per day with food. The capsule can be pulled apart and the contents sprinkled in food or drink.
The ingredients in this are organic inulin from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and organic spinach extract (Spinacia oleracea L.).
The vegetarian capsule is made from cellulose. Contains traces of citrus and coconut.
Vimergy
The American brand Vimergy contains 5 mg folate as 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate.
It also contains 500 µg vitamin B12 as 50% methylcobalamin and 50% adenosylcobalamin. It's good to combine 5-MTHF with vitamin B12, as large doses of 5-MTHF can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency. But B12 also helps increase folate absorption.
Dosing for adults is recommended at 1 capsule once per day, and since one bottle contains 60 capsules, it lasts for 2 months.
This contains 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, and the capsule is made of cellulose. The folate comes from the glucosamine salt of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is a patented form of highly bioavailable methylfolate that is structurally analogous to the reduced and active form of folate.
Thorne
In the American brand Thorne, we find 5 mg folate as L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 2 mg L-leucine.
Thorne's products are naturally free from soy and gluten and are manufactured without unnecessary additives or preservatives.
Dosing for adults is recommended at 1-2 capsules per day with food, and since one bottle contains 60 capsules, it lasts 1-2 months.
Other ingredients are the capsule which is made from hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (from coniferous trees), microcrystalline cellulose (stabilizing agent), silicon dioxide (filler).
Similarities and Differences
All three contain active and easily absorbed forms of 5-MTHF and all have cellulose-based capsules.
Thorne's capsules are smaller, but all can be opened and sprinkled over food if you don't like swallowing capsules.
Helhetshälsa has the lowest dosage, making it excellent for both men and women planning pregnancy. Most people start with 500 µg – 1 mg of 5-MTHF for normal use, as the optimal daily dose is 400–800µg.
Certain circumstances may require 1-5 mg or more. Thorne's and Vimergy's supplements contain 10 times more 5-MTHF than Helhetshälsa's and also have other nutrients added.
Vimergy is a good alternative if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency, and Thorne is suitable for those who want to build muscle thanks to its l-leucine content.
Who Should NOT Take 5-MTHF?
Avoid 5-MTHF if you're allergic to folic acid in crops or multivitamins (skin rash, chest pressure, or difficulty breathing).
Talk to a nutritional therapist, functional medicine practitioner, or doctor if you've previously been diagnosed with B12 deficiency and if you have a bipolar disorder or if you're on medication.
If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you're trying to conceive, you can also ask for advice to determine an appropriate dose.
Remember to store supplements out of reach of children and that the recommended dose should not be exceeded. Dietary supplements should not be used as an alternative to a varied diet. During pregnancy, a multivitamin/mineral for pregnant women is also recommended.
