In this blog I will try to keep things as simple as possible, if you are interested in going more in depth about certain topics I will always try to leave links to more scientific/scholarly/researcher based articles and websites.
The other day I was discussing vitamins with somebody and we started talking about prenatal vitamins and how vital folate is for a baby's development. She was using the term folate and folic acid interchangeably and the more we talked the more it was apparent she thought they were the exact same thing.
What is Folate?
Folate is a water soluble B vitamin (all B vitamins are water soluble , water soluble means the vitamins are carried to your body's tissues... your body then takes what it needs and the rest is excreted. These are unlike fat soluble vitamins which are stored in your body.) Folate is the naturally occurring form of B9. It supports nervous system functions, helps in the production of red blood cells, and repairs DNA damaged by toxins.
A deficiency of folate has been associated with symptoms and conditions such as,
-anemia (because folate helps the body to absorb iron & B12 both of which are needed for RBC production)
-fatigue
-mouth sores
-low immunity
-irritability, mood issues
What is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. This is the form you will find in enriched grain products and most supplements.
It is hard for many people to absorb folic acid because they lack a certain enzyme in liver that turns folic acid into the useable 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. This is called MTHFR defect. When folic acid is not efficiently absorbed, the unmetabolized folic acid can enter the blood stream where it can cause issues.
Of course the best sources of folate will be from food, food sources of folate include:
- Spinach: 110 mcg / cup
- Black-Eyed Peas: 210 mcg / 1 cup
- Asparagus: 100 mcg per 5 spears
- Broccoli: 50 mcg / 1/2 cup
- Oranges: 40 mcg/ 1 medium orange
- Avocados: 162.8 mcg/ 1 avocado
(approximate amounts)
Liver is also and excellent source of folate
The RDAs for Folate is as follows
DFE stands for One Dietary Folate Equivalent
Holistic/Naturopathic practitioners recommend women trying to get pregnant consume from 800 to 1200 mcg daily. Chris Kresser recommends supplementing with 600-800 mcg of folate per day for pregnant women/women trying to get pregnant.
Solgar and Jarrow make a great methylated-folate that is easily accessible in natural food stores.
Garden of Life and Megafood also have great whole foods based prenatal (and regular multivitamins that include folate instead of folic acid). The best type of folate would be a metfolin brand folate or a folate that is listed as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. A methylated folate (as well as a methylcobalamin b12) is necessary for anyone who might have a MTHFR gene mutation.The other day I was discussing vitamins with somebody and we started talking about prenatal vitamins and how vital folate is for a baby's development. She was using the term folate and folic acid interchangeably and the more we talked the more it was apparent she thought they were the exact same thing.
What is Folate?
Folate is a water soluble B vitamin (all B vitamins are water soluble , water soluble means the vitamins are carried to your body's tissues... your body then takes what it needs and the rest is excreted. These are unlike fat soluble vitamins which are stored in your body.) Folate is the naturally occurring form of B9. It supports nervous system functions, helps in the production of red blood cells, and repairs DNA damaged by toxins.
A deficiency of folate has been associated with symptoms and conditions such as,
-anemia (because folate helps the body to absorb iron & B12 both of which are needed for RBC production)
-fatigue
-mouth sores
-low immunity
-irritability, mood issues
-neural tube defects in developing babies most common of which being spina bifida, another example of this is the more common tongue tie or ankyloglossia this can be genetic or congenital stemming from the MTHFR defect that I explain more about below.
What is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. This is the form you will find in enriched grain products and most supplements.
It is hard for many people to absorb folic acid because they lack a certain enzyme in liver that turns folic acid into the useable 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. This is called MTHFR defect. When folic acid is not efficiently absorbed, the unmetabolized folic acid can enter the blood stream where it can cause issues.
Of course the best sources of folate will be from food, food sources of folate include:
- Spinach: 110 mcg / cup
- Black-Eyed Peas: 210 mcg / 1 cup
- Asparagus: 100 mcg per 5 spears
- Broccoli: 50 mcg / 1/2 cup
- Oranges: 40 mcg/ 1 medium orange
- Avocados: 162.8 mcg/ 1 avocado
(approximate amounts)
Liver is also and excellent source of folate
The RDAs for Folate is as follows
DFE stands for One Dietary Folate Equivalent
Holistic/Naturopathic practitioners recommend women trying to get pregnant consume from 800 to 1200 mcg daily. Chris Kresser recommends supplementing with 600-800 mcg of folate per day for pregnant women/women trying to get pregnant.
Solgar and Jarrow make a great methylated-folate that is easily accessible in natural food stores.
Bottom Line: Get FOLATE over folic acid as it is easier absorbed and used by the body --better still get your folate from food sources first!
https://chriskresser.com/folate-vs-folic-acid/
https://draxe.com/folate-vs-folic-acid-1-healthy-1-dangerous/
https://wellnessmama.com/12543/folic-acid-vs-folate/
https://wellnessmama.com/27148/mthfr-mutation/
Thanks for reading and God Bless! ✞❤☮
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