Folate not Folic Acid

Written By Red Miller

Your doctor or midwife might still be giving you folic acid but it is important to switch to folate where's why...

When we eat foods rich in folate (leaves, seeds, nuts) the body easily converts that to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) before it enters the blood stream. Taking a supplement of folate (5-MTHF) is also easily processed by the body.

We need folate (B9) for all sorts of things including to lower chances of having ...premature birth, low birth weight, neural tube defects (like spinal bifida) and congenital heart defects, cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. This it is recommended to start folate supplementation BEFORE pregnancy - while trying to conceive. 

BUT folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9. Because it is synthetic, the body has a hard, if not impossible time, converting it into 5-MTHF (what we need) , in the digestive system. Instead un-metabolized folic acid is left floating around in our bloodstream and can cause health issues such as certain cancers (like breast and colorectal), asthma, dementia and Alzheimer's and more).

For folks with a MTHFR gene mutation (roughly 65% of the population) this build up of folic acid can be more problematic. If you don't know your MTHFR status it can be good one to check.

If you are planning to conceive or pregnant your dose of folate should be 600 to 800 mcg (0.6 to 0.8 mg) daily.

Adding some good infographs/memes from Dr Jockers in the comments below and let's also discuss this further in the comments ...👇🏽

#ConsciouslyConceiving