You may have never heard of folate, methylated folate, or folic acid, but chances are you’ve heard of B vitamins. Out of eight different B (B-Complex) vitamins, folate, methylated folate, and folic acid are forms of vitamin B9, but with distinct differences.

In order to understand the importance of methylated folate for health and longevity, let’s start with the basics.

What is Folate?

Folate, a naturally occurring umbrella term that encompasses a form of B9, has two common types: folic acid and methylated folate. To state simply, folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, whereas methylated folate is a naturally occurring and bioavailable form of folate.

Folate aids in making DNA and other genetic material, helps cell division and embryo development, reduces macular degeneration, and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Some studies have shown it also improves cardiovascular health, mood, and cognition.

This vitamin is especially important for pregnant women as it helps in fetal growth and development and can help prevent birth defects. According to the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, a folate deficiency during pregnancy can cause complications and birth defects such as neural tube defects that affect the fetus’s brain and spinal cord. Being deficient in folate during pregnancy can also increase the chances of placental abruption, where the placenta is separated from the uterus.

A folate deficiency is evident through a wide range of symptoms, such as:

Infertility
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Fatigue
Depression
Decreased cognitive function
- Memory loss, confusion, difficulty concentrating
Alzheimer’s disease
Anemia
- Dizziness, paleness, shortness of breath

A study reported that folate deficiency is common and can occur when dietary intake is low, an increased need is not matched by increased folate intake (in the case of conditions such as pregnancy, lactation, and children’s growth), and metabolism or drug use interfers with the body’s ability to use folate.

Foods naturally high in folate:
Legumes
Asparagus
Eggs
Leafy greens
Beets
Citrus fruits
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Nuts and seeds
Beef liver

Folic Acid and Methylated Folate

Fortified foods such as breads, flours, pastas, rices, and cereals contain folic acid–not naturally-occurring folate–therefore, they do not have the same benefits or the same degree of efficiency. Folic acid needs to be converted to another form of folate before it can be utilized in the body; for that reason, it's slower to use. Up to 40% of people have a gene variant (MTHFR) that makes this folic acid conversion process inefficient. Also, eating too much folic acid (synthetic, fortified foods) may cause side effects such as bloating, loss of appetite, or nausea.

This is why I recommend my clients eat foods rich in folate for high bioavailability as well as folate supplementation, often provided as methylated folate (5-MTHF or L-methylfolate). Methylated folate is more efficient, safer in the long term, and better utilized than folic acid.

Optimal Health Programs

My main goal as a functional nutritionist is to help you achieve your best and healthiest self through personalized nutrition and functional medicine. Among the popular gut health and hormone health testing services and protocols I offer, I also have two optimal health programs: 3-month and 6-month.

The 3-Month and 6-Month Optimal Health programs are the ultimate approach to balanced and root-cause well-being. We work together to optimize your health, improve energy, prevent disease, and live a high-quality life. We will focus on figuring out how to show up as the healthiest version of yourself. We will explore nutrition, metabolic balance, gut health, hormone health, and lifestyle factors that affect these, such as stress, sleep, and exercise.