What Do You Really Know About Folate?
What do you know about Folate? Folic Acid? L-methylfolate?
If you are a woman, chances are that you have heard that it is important to have adequate amounts of folic acid. If you are a man, you may have heard a thing or two about it's important qualities as well. Chances are, man or woman, you have heard recommendations for folic acid.
In women who are pregnant, folic acid is highly recommended as a measure to prevent neural tube defects. Did you know that it is not really the folic acid your body wants, but folate? Folic acid is actually a synthetic form of folate, which is a B vitamin. Folate is found in many foods we eat such as broccoli, spinach, orange juice, avocados, eggs, bananas and strawberries to name a few. Folic acid is found in supplements. This is an important distinction and one I had never made until recently.
Having low levels of folate can increase the risk of neural tube defects such as Spina Bifida, Anencephaly and Encephalocele. Folate is important for protein synthesis, aiding in the production of blood and helping cells to form. It can also be helpful in lowering homocysteine levels which have been linked to heart disease. These are just a couple of the important roles folate can play in our bodies.
So what about L-methylfolate? What is it and why is it mentioned here? L-methylfolate is a natural and bio-available form of folate, actually 7 times more bio-available than folic acid. Unlike folic acid, it does not need to be converted in order to be used by the human body. Sounds like a better alternative already to me...but it is really important for people with a condition called MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase). MTHFR is a genetic defect that can inhibit the body's ability to absorb folic acid, among other things. The disorder has been linked to several complications in pregnancy and is often unrecognized and undetected. This is where the L-methyfolate comes into play and appears to offer a way to bypass this defect and help women increase their levels of folate as well as decrease risks for miscarriage, neural tube defects, low birth weight, and preeclampsia. In addition to those with MTHFR, L-methylfolate can also be helpful for obese women who are pregnant. There is higher risk for congenital defects in the pregnancies of obese women and also an increased need for folate.
Were you aware of these differences between folic acid, folate and L-methylfolate? Are the women in your community aware of the differences and do they know about MTHFR or L-methylfolate?
For more in depth reading and additional information:
Wishing Star blog post titled “MTHFR”
My Health blog post titled “Folic Acid: Don't Be Without It”
Medical Fit blog post titled “Folic Acid Overview Information”
Methods of Healing blog post titled “The Importance of Folate During Pregnancy”
Full disclosure: I work as a part time Community Leader for WEGO Health and I was introduced to this topic through an Insight Session held earlier this month on behalf of a WEGO Health sponsor. I have not been asked to write about the topic but I felt the information was important and needed to be shared with other Health Activists.
If you are a woman, chances are that you have heard that it is important to have adequate amounts of folic acid. If you are a man, you may have heard a thing or two about it's important qualities as well. Chances are, man or woman, you have heard recommendations for folic acid.
In women who are pregnant, folic acid is highly recommended as a measure to prevent neural tube defects. Did you know that it is not really the folic acid your body wants, but folate? Folic acid is actually a synthetic form of folate, which is a B vitamin. Folate is found in many foods we eat such as broccoli, spinach, orange juice, avocados, eggs, bananas and strawberries to name a few. Folic acid is found in supplements. This is an important distinction and one I had never made until recently.
Having low levels of folate can increase the risk of neural tube defects such as Spina Bifida, Anencephaly and Encephalocele. Folate is important for protein synthesis, aiding in the production of blood and helping cells to form. It can also be helpful in lowering homocysteine levels which have been linked to heart disease. These are just a couple of the important roles folate can play in our bodies.
So what about L-methylfolate? What is it and why is it mentioned here? L-methylfolate is a natural and bio-available form of folate, actually 7 times more bio-available than folic acid. Unlike folic acid, it does not need to be converted in order to be used by the human body. Sounds like a better alternative already to me...but it is really important for people with a condition called MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase). MTHFR is a genetic defect that can inhibit the body's ability to absorb folic acid, among other things. The disorder has been linked to several complications in pregnancy and is often unrecognized and undetected. This is where the L-methyfolate comes into play and appears to offer a way to bypass this defect and help women increase their levels of folate as well as decrease risks for miscarriage, neural tube defects, low birth weight, and preeclampsia. In addition to those with MTHFR, L-methylfolate can also be helpful for obese women who are pregnant. There is higher risk for congenital defects in the pregnancies of obese women and also an increased need for folate.
Were you aware of these differences between folic acid, folate and L-methylfolate? Are the women in your community aware of the differences and do they know about MTHFR or L-methylfolate?
For more in depth reading and additional information:
Wishing Star blog post titled “MTHFR”
My Health blog post titled “Folic Acid: Don't Be Without It”
Medical Fit blog post titled “Folic Acid Overview Information”
Methods of Healing blog post titled “The Importance of Folate During Pregnancy”
Full disclosure: I work as a part time Community Leader for WEGO Health and I was introduced to this topic through an Insight Session held earlier this month on behalf of a WEGO Health sponsor. I have not been asked to write about the topic but I felt the information was important and needed to be shared with other Health Activists.
Tags: acid, defects, folate, folic, l-methylfolate, mthfr, neural, pregnancy, tube
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Comment by Ellen S on November 18, 2009 at 12:33pm -
This is great information Amy! I recently have blogged a bit about Folate and Folic Acid, including the post Elevated homocysteine levels associated with Migraine and genetic mutation. In this circumstance, elevated homocysteine can be a trigger for Migraine in as many as 10% of Migraineurs. As you know, Folate helps the body convert dangerous homocysteine to helpful building blocks, and an elevated level of homocysteine can be reversed with B9 (folate) and B12 supplementation. I've blogged about it in other respects as well, including the need to supplement folic acid while taking specific drugs that may deplete it. The Migraine drug topiramate is one that can deplete Folate levels in your body.
The best thing to do if you suspect a folate deficiency is to test for it. Folate testing the blood isn't the best way to go as results can be changed with a single meal containing adequate folate, and not tell you and your doctor the complete picture of the most important result - the folate level in your tissues. A test for Homocysteine isn't routinely run unless your doctor suspects heart disease, but it may be important for other reasons, including Migraine and preventing birth defects. The Homocysteine test may be considered more accurate as it is more likely to give a picture of your overall folate intake AND usage.
I did hear today on Good Morning America that ultra high levels of folic acid supplementation may correlate to a higher chance of cancers such as lung cancer, but further research needs to be done to really get the facts. My suggestion is, if you're concerned and want to supplement, get tested first so you know where you stand.
Too much of a good thing isn't a good thing.
For additional physician based information on vitamins, supplements and herbals including folate and folic acid, I usually suggest these two sites:
University of Maryland Medical Alternative and Complementary Medicine Index (Folic acid is listed here as B9) This site has a wonderful part of each vitamin's page that tells the most common medicines that may deplete that nutrient - fabulous info I've not found many other places!
Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University
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Comment by Amy K on November 18, 2009 at 4:10pm -
There really is so very much to learn about Folate. Thank you for sharing all of this additional information. It is amazing how Folate affects so many different aspects of our health. I also recently hear of reports regarding high levels of folate having a potential link to cancer risks. It will be interesting to see what the future findings are. Like you said, perhaps there can be too much of a good thing at times.
I found an interesting article related to this discussion citing possible links to colon cancer and the importance of treating folic acid supplementation on an individual basis.
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