Folic Acid MONO Drops 400 µg 50 ml

Folic acid (folate) belongs to the B vitamins, is water-soluble and is known as vitamin B9. This particular vitamin cannot be produced by the body itself and must therefore be taken in regularly through food. Unfortunately, the need for folate is often not adequately met even through a balanced diet, because many people cannot absorb or metabolize the folate they take in through food. In addition, many foods (especially green foods such as vegetables and lettuce) nowadays contain hardly any folate and the sensitive folate is often already destroyed by heat and water before it can be absorbed through food.

This creates the need for dietary supplements that can make up for this deficit. These supplements contain the synthetically produced form of folate, folic acid. These forms of folate are stable and can be precisely dosed as a dietary supplement. However, there are also important things to consider and big differences in quality.

L-methyfolate vs. folic acid

Folic acid is the synthetically produced form of folate, while methylfolate (or L-methylfolate) is the methylated form of folic acid and thus the bioactive, highly bioavailable form. The Quatrefolic® L-Methylfolate we use has a purity level of at least 99.9% and is considered one of the highest quality premium raw materials of its kind.

A distinction is often not made between these forms even in common usage, although they are clearly different.

Folic acid (including naturally occurring folate) is not biologically active and must therefore first be converted into the metabolically active L-methylfolate or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in a multi-step process. In addition, a prerequisite for this conversion is that the body can produce a specific enzyme that makes this conversion from folic acid to L-methylfolate possible in the first place. Studies show that a large part of the world's population does not produce this enzyme (or does not produce it sufficiently), and the folic acid ingested can therefore not be converted to the active L-methylfolate form in the first place.

L-methylfolate is the reduced or methylated form of folic acid which can be optimally absorbed by the body. It is immediately active and is therefore immediately available to the body, as it no longer requires any prior conversion. 

The effect of L-methylfolate

• Folate contributes to normal functioning of the immune system and mental function.
• Folate contributes to normal mental function.
• Folate contributes to the reduction of fatigue and tiredness.
• Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.
• Folate contributes to amino acid synthesis, homocysteine metabolism, and blood formation. 

The consequences of folate deficiency

In the case of a folate deficiency, cell division and also the growth process no longer function adequately. As a result, anemia can occur.

There is an increased need for folate, especially during pregnancy, because an undersupply increases the risk of congenital malformations and brain or spinal cord damage in the child. 

The recommended daily dose

The recommended daily dose for adolescents and adults is 300-400 µg per day. For pregnant women and nursing mothers, the recommended intake is 550 µg and 450 µg per day, respectively.

Folic acid or L-methylfolate should not be taken in excess of 1000 µg per day, otherwise an overdose may occur.