Folate for babies

Folate for babies

Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 found in leafy green vegetables. Folate can also come from vitamins (food based). Methyl-folate is folate with a methyl group attached to it; this is the active form of folate that your body uses/needs.

Folic acid is not a real vitamin from nature; it’s actually a synthetic chemical. Sure your body can and does use it but it may not be the best source of folate for and may come with side-effects you don’t want. Excess levels of unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) may lead to decreased immune function (1), mask a B12 deficiency, and decrease the availability of active folate (the form your body uses).

Fast Facts

  1. Fifty Countries worldwide mandate folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects. 5-methyltetrahydrofolate more effectively raises plasma folate levels..  (2)
  2. Ireland has removed supplementation, due to high levels of UMFA found in the elderly population.
  3. UMFA has a half-life of weeks
  4. Researchers from the National Institute of Health Recommend Monitoring (UMFA)
  5. Methyl-folate raises folate levels instantly vs the delayed increase in plasma folate levels with folic acid.

Multivitamins and folate during pregnancy?

Yes of course!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3250974/

1)https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7405697_Unmetabolized_folic_acid_in_plasma_is_associated_with_reduced_natural_killer_cell_cytotoxicity_among_postmenopausal_women

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23482308

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