Folate vs. Folic Acid: What's the Difference and Why It Matters.
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First, I want to say I am a researcher, an overthinker, and someone who is always looking ahead. Motherhood was not the dream I chased, but I’m sure glad it found me. Once I knew I was adding “Mom” to my title, I started researching everything I could to prepare my body for pregnancy.
One thing I kept seeing over and over during my research was vitamin B9. More specifically, I noticed the terms folate and folic acid were often used interchangeably. This drove me crazy because yes, they're related, but they are not exactly the same.
The more I researched, the more questions I had.
So why do we need vitamin B9? What's the difference between folate and folic acid? And why does it matter?
Before we dive in, I want to be clear: I'm not a doctor, and this isn't medical advice. I'm simply sharing what I learned through my own research, conversations with my healthcare providers, and the decisions I ultimately made for myself.
Why Do We Need Folate During Pregnancy?
Folate is a form of vitamin B9 and plays an important role in DNA synthesis, cell division, and growth and development. During pregnancy, these processes are happening incredibly fast as a baby develops.
Adequate folate intake is especially important around conception and during early pregnancy, when the neural tube, which eventually develops into the brain and spinal cord, is forming. (My brain glazes over with some of these science terms, but stick with me because this part is important.)
One of the first things I added to my routine was folate. I actually began taking it about a year before trying for my first baby and continued taking it because I knew we wanted a second little beauty someday.
What Is Folate?
Folate is the naturally occurring form of vitamin B9 found in foods such as dark leafy greens, legumes, asparagus, avocados, citrus fruits, and beef liver.
Vitamin B9 is essential for DNA synthesis, cell division, and healthy growth and development. There are also supplemental forms of folate, including 5-MTHF, commonly referred to as methylfolate.
What Does the Research Say About Folic Acid?
Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 commonly used in supplements and fortified foods such as breads, cereals, and grains. You'll also find it in many conventional prenatal vitamins, although not all of them, so pay attention to the label.
Like other forms of vitamin B9, folic acid goes through metabolic steps in the body before being converted into forms the body can use.
This is where my research really got interesting.
One question kept coming back to me:
Why would I choose a synthetic form when another form was available to me?
If you've read much of my content, you probably won't be surprised by that question. Whenever possible, I tend to gravitate toward certain nutrient forms and products that align with my personal approach to health and wellness.
But there is an important piece of this conversation that I don't want to leave out simply because I personally chose methylfolate.
So Why Did I Choose Methylfolate?
After researching the different forms of vitamin B9, I personally felt more comfortable choosing methylfolate. It's an active form of folate, and it fit the way I personally approach supplements and nutrition.
Like many people, COVID pushed me to take a closer look at my overall health and become more aware of what I put into my body. Don't get me wrong, I am far from perfect and still enjoy plenty of things that aren't considered "crunchy" (I am a millennial, after all... good times if you're from my era).
This season of life has really had me researching more, asking more questions, and paying closer attention to the choices I'm making not only for myself, but also for my little one(s).
Choosing methylfolate instead of folic acid was one of those decisions, and it felt especially important as I prepared my body for pregnancy.
How Much Folate Do You Need?
Folate needs increase during pregnancy. The recommended dietary allowance during pregnancy is 600 mcg dietary folate equivalents (DFE) per day.
There is another number you'll frequently see when researching pregnancy: public-health recommendations advise people who could become pregnant to consume 400–800 mcg of folic acid daily from supplements and/or fortified foods to help reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
Those numbers aren't necessarily interchangeable because the way folate intake is measured depends on its source and form.
This is another reason I think it's important to talk with your healthcare provider instead of simply copying someone else's supplement routine from the internet—including mine!
I personally take 800 mcg of methylfolate daily, and my midwife was comfortable with that amount for me.
Because I couldn't stomach prenatal vitamins (I tried four different kinds!), I eventually had to come up with my own supplement routine. I'll save that for another blog!
Folate Supplements I Recommend
Dr. Green Mom – Methyl Factors
Her products are a favorite of mine. They're third-party tested, and I used this supplement throughout my second pregnancy. You'll catch on quickly, I use quite a few Dr. Green Mom products!
Pure Encapsulations Folate 400
Another high quality methylfolate option from a well established brand. It’s third party tested and a little more budget friendly.
Ultimately, methylfolate is the form I chose for myself. It fits my personal approach to health and supplementation, and it was a decision I felt comfortable making with my healthcare provider.
What feels right for me may not be the best fit for someone else. My goal in sharing this isn't to tell you what you have to take. It's to share what I learned, why I made the choice I did, and hopefully give you a better starting point for your own research and conversations with your healthcare provider.
Sources & Further Reading
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements – Folate: Health Professional Fact Sheet
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements – Dietary Supplements and Life Stages: Pregnancy
