Table of Contents
Folate Vs. Folic Acid | Risks of excessive folic acid intake | Folate food sources
If I asked you which of these vitamins was found naturally in food, folate or folic acid, would you know the answer? If not, you’re in good company. Medical professionals, nutrition experts, and health practitioners frequently mix up the two, simply because the terms are often used interchangeably.
Many health professionals would even argue that folate and folic acid are essentially the same nutrient. While folic acid is often considered to be a supplemental form of folate, there is an important distinction between these two different compounds. For women past childbearing age, and for men in general, excessive doses of the synthetic form of this nutrient are not necessary, and may even be harmful.
The difference between folate and folic acid?
Folate is a general term for a group of water soluble b-vitamins, and is also known as B9. Folic acid refers to the oxidized synthetic compound used in dietary supplements and food fortification, whereas folate refers to the various tetrahydrofolate derivatives naturally found in food.
The form of folate that can enter the main folate metabolic cycle is tetrahydrofolate (THF). (2) Unlike natural folates, which are metabolized to THF in the mucosa of the small intestine, folic acid undergoes initial reduction and methylation in the liver, where conversion to the THF form requires dihydrofolate reductase.
Several studies have reported the presence of unmetabolized folic acid in the blood following the consumption of folic acid supplements or fortified foods. (3) Human exposure to folic acid was non-existent until its chemical synthesis in 1943, and was introduced as a mandatory food fortification in 1998. (4) Food fortification was deemed mandatory due to overwhelming evidence for the protective effect of folic acid supplementation before conception and during early pregnancy on the development of neural tube defects (NTD) in newborns.
Risks associated with excessive folic acid intake
While the incidence of NTDs in the United States been significantly reduced since folic acid fortification began, there has been concern about the safety of chronic intake of high levels of folic acid from fortified foods, beverages and dietary supplements. (5) One of the major risks associated with excessive intake of folic acid is the development of cancer. (6) In patients with ischemic heart disease in Norway, where there is no folic acid fortification of foods, treatment with folic acid plus vitamin B12 was associated with increased cancer outcomes and all-cause mortality. In the United States, Canada, and Chile, the institution of a folic acid supplementation program was associated with an increased prevalence of colon cancer. (7, 8) A randomized control trial found that that daily supplementation with 1 mg of folic acid was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. (9)
Researchers have hypothesized that the excessive consumption of folic acid in fortified foods may be directly related to the increase in cancer rates. Excess folic acid may stimulate the growth of established neoplasms, which can eventually lead to cancer. The presence of unmetabolized folic acid in the blood is associated with decreased natural killer cytotoxicity. (10) Since natural killer cells play a role in tumor cell destruction, this would suggest another way in which excess folic acid might promote existing premalignant and malignant lesions.
In one study, consumption of folic acid in excess of 400 micrograms per day among older adults resulted in significantly faster rate of cognitive decline than supplement nonusers. (11) Another study found a higher prevalence of both anemia and cognitive impairment in association with high folic acid intake in older adults with a low vitamin B12 status. (12) As vitamin B12 deficiency is a common problem for many older adults, these studies suggest that high folic acid intake could cause serious cognitive consequences in the elderly.
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Folate from natural food sources is best
Folate aids the complete development of red blood cells, reduces levels of homocysteine in the blood, and supports nervous system function. It is well known for its role in preventing neural tube defects in newborns, so women of childbearing age must be sure to have an adequate intake prior to and during pregnancy.
Excellent sources of dietary folate include vegetables such as romaine lettuce, spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, mustard greens, parsley, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and lentils. (13) Not surprisingly, some of the best food sources of folate are calf’s liver and chicken liver.
You can supplement with folate if your dietary intake is inadequate. Look for products that contain the Metfolin brand, or list “5-methyltetrahydrofolate” or “5-MTHF” on the label. Avoid products that say “folic acid” on the label. Make sure to check your multivitamin because most multis contain folic acid and not folate.
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The Adapt Naturals Core Plus bundle features two products that contain folate. Bio-Avail Multi, a multivitamin/multimineral and phytonutrient blend, contains 680 mcg of the most active form of folate, methyltetrahydrofolate. Bio-Avail Organ contains a blend of five organ meats (live, kidney, heart, pancreas, and spleen), which are among the highest sources of folate in the diet.
Women planning on becoming pregnant should consume between 800 and 1200 mcg of folate per day for several months before the start of pregnancy. Unless you’re consuming chicken or calf’s liver and substantial amounts of leafy greens on a regular basis, it’s difficult to obtain this amount from diet alone. If you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, I recommend supplementing with 600-800 mcg of folate per day, depending on your dietary intake. Solgar
is a good brand, but there are several others that typically use 5-MTHF including Designs for Health, Thorne, Metabolic Maintenance and Pure Encapsulations.
All other people, such as men and older women, should be able to get plenty of folate in a diet with adequate vegetable consumption, and do not need to supplement.
What about this product from jarrows http://www.jarrow.com/product/57/B_Right it says folic acid and folate.Is this a good product to buy?thank you
I am currently taking 25mg of methotrexate for an autoimmune condition. My physician prescribes 2mg of folic acid a day to help with the side effects (mainly hair loss). Should I be supplementing with folate instead?
methotrexate reduces availability of one precursor of methylfolate. So doctors use a different pathyway and prescribe folinic acid instead. Both pathways lead to the goal of having methylfolate available. You shoul consider asking your doctor about methyl folate
Hi Chris,
I’m really surprised you made no mention of the fairly common MTHFR C677T gene defect (or SNP).
I think you missed a big opportunity to educate your audience on this. For many with invisible and seemingly unexplained illnesses such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and autism, they are finding they have gene defects causing all sorts of sub par function in the methylation cycle which affects pretty much every bodily process. MTHFR specifically has also been implicated in recurrent pregnancy loss though that is somewhat controversial.
I only recently discovered I am homozygous for MTHFR C677T meaning I have pretty much zero ability to convert dietary folate or folic acid to the type of folate the body uses – 5MTH which you mention in the article. It’s thought that 10% of the caucasian population are homozygous and 50% are heterozygous, meaning they have limited function of this enzyme.
There is a great site – mthfr.net – which explains this much better than I can, lists all the current research to date and explains the consequences that C677T and A1298C (the two most studied SNPs for MTHFR) can have.
And yes, MTHFR is THE best acronym EVER for a gene defect….in some circles we lovingly call it “motherplucker” 🙂
Good sites for more information:
MTHFR : mthfr.net
Methylation: http://www.knowyourgenetics.com/The%20Methylation%20Pathway.html
http://www.enzymestuff.com/methylation.htm
Amy Yasko is a pioneer in this field: http://www.dramyyasko.com/
I plan to write about this in detail later. I can only do so much in one article – when they get too long, fewer people read them. I’d like to give this topic the attention it deserves.
Fair enough, but even a sentence would have been enough to at least advise people this is one reason why so many will get no benefit from dietary folate or folic acid. Look forward to the future article 🙂 cheers, Allison
There is an association between folic acid supplementation in pregnancy and increased rates of autism but whether the association is causal is unknown. It is possible that folic acid supplementation is fine for most mothers, but puts mothers with the C677T or A1298C mutations at risk for having an autistic child. The mothers with these SNPS will not be able fully to metabolize folic acid and will have more unmetabolized folic acid. This could be the culprit. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2980954/. Maybe pregnant women should take only 5-MTHF supplements, if we have safety findings on that. What do you think?
High intake of Folic Acid supplementation is bad with or without MTHFR. http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Vitamins/folic_acid_embryonic_loss_0218130710.html
Yay! Can’t wait to read it, Chris!
“I plan to write about this in detail later.”
I agree the topic of mthfr gene mutations need to be covered. My husband, myself and my daughters all have one of the mutations. I was experiencing a myriad of symptoms and started taking l-methyl folate 15mg and it changed my life. What a difference. The problem I’ve found is that there are main stream physicians that give it no credence but functional medicine practitioners do. Mthfr.net is a great resource for personal research and finding a doctor that can help. Going to a registered dietician is a good place to start as well. Would love to see you cover this topic.
Chris,
I’m not sure that I would be so quick to exonerate natural folate.
The hypothesis that the results of the randomize controlled trials (there are now a few RCTs showing folic acid => cancer) relate to unmetabolized folic acid is compelling. That said, it is just a hypothesis!
There is some evidence that folate, itself, could be problematic. For example, here is a study finding that people who consumed more dietary folate had more cancer: http://www.ajcn.org/content/83/4/895.abstract. And, here’s another one: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15991278. There’s also a large recent meta analysis finding that vegetable consumption does not reduce the risk of cancer. Since people who eat the most vegetables are the healthy people, that result is surprising and (I think) actually suggests that vegetable higher consumption could cause cancer…
From a plausibility perspective, if high consumption of folate causes cancer, epigenetic effects might be to blame. Here’s a study finding that higher RBC folate is correlated with promoter hypermethylation (gene silencing that may lead to cancer): http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/3/12/1552.abstract.
I recognize that more evidence should be required before incriminating things-natural, like folate (or animal fat) than would otherwise be required to incriminate things-artificial, like folic acid (or industrially produced vegetable oil). That said, there are plausible mechanisms by which folate, itself, could cause cancer. For example, as mentioned above, folate may induce promoter hypermethylation and, thereby, silence tumor-suppressor genes.
Incidentally, other B-vitamins, like choline (and probably betaine too) may prevent promoter methylation. So, maybe the problem arises when otherwise choline-deficient people consume too much folate… I note that any animal-food source of folate also contains lots of choline.
Dan,
I’ve seen those studies, and yes, it highlights the importance of obtaining nutrients from whole foods whenever possible. But I think the evidence supporting sufficient folate intake during pregnancy and nursing is strong, and that’s why I recommend supplementing for those populations. I don’t recommend that men or women who are not pregnant, trying to become pregnant or nursing supplement with high doses of folate (unless they know they’re deficient and are correcting a methylation problem).
What about if they are on methotrexate Chris ? or Enbrel?
Thanks,
Mark
Ray Peat has some ideas about the consumption of PUFA and cancer. Simply eating folate may increase cancer because I have read that cancerous cells use folate to grow. If you are creating a heavy oxidation burden on your body with toxins like PUFA (polyunsaturated fat) then it’s likely that also eating folate might feed cancerous cells – especially if you also supplement with folic acid which can build up and deactivate Natural Killer cells. This is my hypothesis any way.
Not entirely true. There’s a huge difference between ‘folic acid’ and folate — the former being synthetic, not really useable by the body. Increased folate is associated with lower risk of colon cancer. As for the supposed increased risk of breast cancer — that came from FOLIC ACID, not food folate:
“Furthermore, although food folate intake was not significantly related to breast cancer risk, total folate intake, mainly from folic acid supplementation, significantly increased breast cancer risk by 32%.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17063929
http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?id=15467
This link explains the theory, cells require folate to make and repair DNA and cancer cells can also use it. Unconverted Folic Acid cannot be used in this way, but has been reported to deactivate Natural Killer Cells which are a defense against cancer.
Only active folate can be used for DNA growth/repair, so this article is talking about converted folic acid or food folate feeding cancer.
This is known as the folate paradox. It’s possible the folic acid both deactivates natural killer cells, and possibly feeds cancerous cells according to the articles I’ve read.
However PUFA and other environmental burdens promote cancer and impair the immune system. PUFA’s ability to supress the immune system is well documented.
Chris i think in fact women trying to become pregnanct are actually supposed to consume the folic acid or methylfolate supplements as its upon conception through to the 29th day i think they say that it is most important to have the extra dose of 400mcg over and above the 600mcg required during pregnancy
RAW One for Women is a multivitamin that contains folate, not folic acid, in case that helps anyone.
RAW probiotic for men also has folate, my question is “folate” ok to take?
First of all, awesome summation post Chris. Question: you say 800-1200mcg/day is best for childbearing women, but no specifics for the rest of us. Would you agree with the RDA that 400mcg is the amount the rest of us should be aiming for from food or supplementation? Thanks also for including specific recommendations on a brand.
At the end of the article he states that food sources provide plenty of folate for those not growing a baby. Supplement recs are insurance for pre-conception/pregnancy.
Chris,
This article caught my attention recently. I am 16 weeks pregnant and was curious about how many physicians were telling me to make sure I take a bunch of folic acid all the time. I was searching around the internet and saw there was some musings about an autism-folic acid connection. I realize that there are a lot of theories on autism…but thought this interesting enough to look into.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21454018
This article begs the question why is it hard to get B9 without supplementation.
Also, Solgar does not sell 5-MTHF.
Solgar sells 5-MTHF (Metafolin/(6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid/L-methylfolate) in 400 and 800 mcg.
http://www.solgar.com/SolgarProducts/Folate-800-mcg-as-Metafolin-Tablets.htm
i thought that i was taking a “folate” supplement for this very reason. however, upon closer inspection, it shows 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and then in parentheses, it shows: (elemental, as 800 mcg (6S) 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt). should i be concerned here?
i’d also love the answer to amanda’s question regarding pure encapsulations nutrient 950 with vitamin k. we’re trying to conceive & i’ve had a tough time finding prenatals that don’t contain folic acid. i did see that this particular supplement (nutrient 950) says that it contains “soy”…that’s too bad.
thanks, as always, for the great info – i really appreciated the article.
(6S) 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid is Metafolin/5-MTHF/L-Methylfolate.
Try new chapter perfect prenatal, theirs contains actual folate.
Amber, Megan and others,
I actually contacted New Chapter asking them to specify what form of folate is in their Perfect Prenatal and they were very evasive in their response. They did say they use Folic Acid as a culture catalyst to end up with a “whole-food complex form of folate”…whatever that means. I asked them to clarify and they said they don’t test the final product for what specific form of folate it is. I’m not happy with this response and am still in search of a better prenatal which uses a biologically active form of folate.
New Chapter pulls a fast one trying to make it look like it’s not folic acid, but it is, just processed to look like it’s folate. ask any food scientist at a university lab and you’ll see what they’re really providing. folic acid re-dong to looks like it’s folate. shame on them.
Just out of curiosity… If we aren’t exposed to folic acid, then why do we have an enzyme that processes it?
For many people this enzyme does not work – MTHFR C677T. I am homozygous for this meaning that I have almost NO function to convert dietary folate or folic acid. It’s thought 10% of the caucasian population are homozygous and 50% are heterozygous meaning limited function. I was surprised Chris didn’t cover this in the article.
I meant the DHFR. Redundant or unnecessary genes tend to be lost due to mutations being passed harmlessly from parent to offspring. If we have an enzyme, the general rule is that we’re using it for something.
I agree Allison…my daughter has the heterozygous MTHFR C677T and 1298C mutation. She is very prone to blood clots and this mutated gene means she can’t metabolize Folic acid..she has to take Folate, B12 and B6.The methylfolate is a good one.( they had her on Warfarin too but another doctor promptly took her off it..thank goodness..she is allergic to aspirin so I have her on Nattokinase)
Hi Allison, I just found out I have C677T and A1298C mthfr mutations. My doctor didn’t give me any information really. I’m trying to learn as much as I can. His treatment program doesn’t seem to be the best option… I’ve started taking metafolin after doing my own research instead of folinic acid like he had me on. Do you have any good articles you could recommend? Where’d you find out those statistics, I haven’t seen any listed anywhere I’d like to find something to read about it. Thank you!
Dawn
Try Dr. Ben Lynch’s website mthfr.net
The enzyme that processes folic acid is the same one that processes folinic acid, the form of folate found in vegetables, and that is why we have that enzyme. Only berries have the activated form of folate, as far as food goes.
People with the C677T MTHFR polymorphism have less efficient processing of even the form found naturally in food and since folic acid is an unnatural form that easily passes into the blood stream it can build up in people who have problems processing it and then it can block usage of the correct form in the body, so it isn’t surprising that it contributes to diseases since it interferes with their being able to use what activated folate they have.
My son has one copy of the C677T gene (meaning the other gene is normal) and even with about 60% function he still had problems with constant fatigue after having mono and we searched for over a year to find out why he wasn’t getting better and after a few days of taking 5-MTHF 5mg his energy levels went up dramatically because he couldn’t process enough folate to meet his increased need while he had mono and it put him into a downward spiral health wise. So sometimes a person who has one of these defects (or both) needs to take higher levels of the correct form of folate.
Hi Kim,
I know we’re all different, but can I ask how much methylfolate your son is taking? Also did you start with a low dose and increase it? Finally, is he taking any methylb12 or other form of b12?
Thanks in advance,
Dan
folinic acid is not the kind found in vegetables, it is also synthetic
Not exactly true Wendy.
The calcium salt form of folinic is “synethetic”, but folinic acid is the form found in leafy greens and other vegetables.
Thanks for the clarification on the difference between those two terms.
It’s just another reminder that we should be regularly eating liver. Good thing it’s pretty tasty!
Like many other RA suffers, I take meds that can affect the liver, (in my case, methotrexate, Arava, Embrel) my rheumatoligist ordered Folic acid 3mg daily. Would using B9/Folate have the same affect on the Liver? I started Paleo in Jan 2012, and love greens, can the correct levels be reached by diet alone?
If the amounts you recommend for mothers attempting to get pregnant are difficult to get from natural sources, then why are you recommending them via supplement?
I have pernicious anemia that went undiagnosed for 20 years, I take very frequent (every other day) injections of b12 currently and my doctor has me taking a special heme iron polypeptide supplement with folic acid to try to get my blood production back to normal. I know a lot of people with my condition supplement with higher levels of folic acid than the normal populace would get in their multi – I will have to see about finding the natural form next time I buy supplements, and will pass this along to the pernicious anaemia society as well. Thanks!
For a food Folate supplement, try Doctors’ Research Brand by Dr. Robert Thiel, who for years has warned about the synthetic folic acid and its overuse in our food. Go to docrtorsresearch.com. Look at the ingredients in B6, 12 and Folate.
Chris,
I had blood work done recently and my MTHFR: C/T with homocysteine: 11. The blood work suggested I consider supplementing with active methylfolate. What would you suggest?
I would definitely recommend giving something like this a try. It’s made for people who have defective MTHFR genes and helps to lower homocysteine and support the methylation cycle. http://www.healthegoods.com/homocystex-plus.html
I agree. My daughter has the mutated MTHFR gene and I found a great product from a website..Dr. Ben Kim. He sells a whole food supplement for Homocysteine care. He also has Proteolytic Enzymes .I have put my 25 year old daughter on both of these products. They come from whole food so the body utilizes them better.
Chris;
Any comments on formyltetrahydrofolate? This is in one brand I am curious about, along with Methyltetrahydrofolate (without the 5- prefix).
Thanks as always for your informative posts!
Hi Chris. Can you comment on Folinic Acid (as Calcium Folinate)?
Nice article Chris.
I think it’s worth to mention that betaine has the same effect on homocysteine as folate. Betaine is found mostly in wheat-products.
If one does not want to eat wheat for some reason, choline works just as wellsince its a precursor for betaine. Choline is found in more paleo-friendly food stuffs such as liver and egg yolks (both are good sources of folate as well).
Thanks for the info! What is your recommended dosage for nursing mothers who still take prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid?
I would strongly recommend that nursing mothers not take prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid. There are other options for multis that don’t contain it, such as Pure Encapsulations with Vitamin K.
Are you speaking of Pure Encapsulations Nutrient 950 with Vitamin K? Thank you.
I’m interested to know which one you are referring to also as that one has folic acid and not folate listed
Yes, that’s the one he’s talking about. Avoid Pure Encapsulations’ actual prenatal multi — for some reason it has regular folic acid instead of folate (I think it’s — ironically — the only one that does). The entire Nutrient 950 line has folate and not folic acid.
The product information sheet for the 950 line says: “Folic acid (Metafolin®, L-5-MTHF): synthetic.” So it says the 5-MTHF, but it also says folic acid instead of folate. . . . Does it say that because folic acid and folate are related, in the sense that folic acid exists to convert to folate? It’s a bit confusing.
They’ve simply confused terms. This is extremely common, unfortunately. However, as long as the “folic acid” is specified as 5-MTHF or Metafolin, you can be sure it’s folate and not folic acid that they mean.
Unfortunately pure encapulations vitamins have soy which has been linked to infertility, not a good option for women trying to concieve, does anyone know of a vitamin that have neither folic acid or soy?
The amount of soy is probably not enough to be an issue, but you might check out Designs for Health “Prenatal Pro” if this is a concern. It is soy-free and does not contain folic acid.
The amount and type of soy in the Pure product is negligible and could not conceivably contribute to infertility.
Pure Ecapsulations B-Complex Plus contains no soy, and has only the L-5 MTHF (no folic acid).
Yes, Seeking Health’s Optimal Prenatal is soy-free and has methylfolate instead of folic acid. It is specifically formulated for women who have the MTHFR genetic defect and cannot process folic acid.
Folate is the category. Folic Acid while synthetic needs several enzymes to convert to the form used by the cell ->Methyl Folate. All the different types of vitamin B9 (Folic Acid, Folinic Acid, Methyl Folate) are vitamers. Meaning they have significant properties of the vitamin. Folinic acid needs a different pathway than Folic Acid to be made bioavailable. Methyl Folate needs no pathway at all, it’s the active form.
Are you familiar with Vitamin Code from Garden of Life? These are all vegetable derived and they have prenatals which include 800 mcg of Folate. But how do you know the brand you are consuming is really what the label says?
I would trust the Nutritional Facts list of vitamin/mineral content and ingredients list, as this is regulated. However, how a product is processed can sometimes hide unwanted ingredients. The raw food vitamins look great, but they all seem to be created through fermentation, and/or contain yeast directly, as do the Garden Of Life Vitamin Code. This can lead to candida overgrowth (yeast infections), especially if you take antibiotics or are prone to this type of infection.
Aren’t those both ones that were found to have high lead content?…
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm115941.htm
just a reminder on mega food their label say 100% whole food state but that is not actuly true they do spick their vitamins with synthetic chemicals, got this from there own mouth, very deceptive labels
What is “spick” ? And by your statement, “from their own mouth”, you mean MegaFood told you they stuffed their supplements full of chemicals? Somehow, I doubt that is quite the case.
Mark
Mega Foods has a statement on their webpage that says they ‘add vitamins’ to their pure, natural foods. It’s a vague statement that made me suspicious. I suggest asking them to clarify.
Folic acid has shown benefits in thousands of published studies. it works. and it’s stable in tablets, absorbing 40% better than folate in foods. elitism masked as saying that it doesn’t work is just that.
I keep hearing people say we that have the defective MTFHR gene can’t process folic acid. My understanding is that we convert folic acid between 40 and 70% as well as those who don’t have the defect. Can anyone, especially you Chris, cite a publication that says we cannot convert folic acid at all? I think that a lot of people misunderstand this and think in absolute terms that folic acid is worthless. I have known three people who have the MTFHR gene defect who feel terrible when they take methylfolate, but feel good when they take folic acid. They usually feel extreme fatigue and/or get acne-like skin breakouts. One alternative doctor told me that he thinks they are having a detox reaction. My homocysteine measures the same whether I take 2,000 mcg/day of methyl-folate or 1,000 mcg of folic acid. Therefore, for me, either form works well enough.
I have mthfr. L-methyl folate 15mg made all the difference for me. However, I learned that people who have a methylation problem, before starting a vitamin protocol, should also be tested for CBS an SIOX defects. This has to be addressed first. Folate, and methylation issues must be addressed in order for the body to properly detoxify.
How do we even know these adverse reactions are detoxification in the first place? There is no evidence!
How about The Honest Company 1 A Day Prenatal for pregnant or nursing Mothers?
I love Pure Encapsulations, but can’t handle 6 pills a day when pregnant. 1-3 max. Is there a good option for me? Not sure if it matters, but I am 5′, 90#
Great Article Chris! It’s sad to see cheap supplement corporations hurt so many women during pregnancy.
The quality of supplements is much more important than quantity. Here is another good option that I tell people about when they switch to the specific carbohydrate diet:
http://www.giprohealth.com/bcomplex-1.aspx
Great info! I think you forgot to include Megafood whole food supplements. They have naturally occuring folate in their B Vitamin and Multi-vitamin formulas, since their supplements are 100% whole food! Worth looking into!
http://www.lovemegafood.com
I’ve always wanted to know. Which vitamer is found in the foods..it’s not Folic Acid, I doubt it is Folinic Acid…which is it?
O, I tracked it down!
http://www.mthfrease.com/mthfr/2013/02/03/folates/
Not sure that information is accurate. The info on folinic isn’t, so it makes me wonder about the rest of it…
What info isn’t correct? Would like to know. Thanks, Ladonna
im sorry i will have to correct you on megafoods vitamin they are 100 wholefood (STATE) NOT 100% whole food very big diffrence, the wording food based or food state or food source only means that they do have food in them but are mixed with synthetic chemicals, mega food vitamins are spicked with chemicals, got that from the horses mouth myself, there dosages are to high to be 100% whole food because in nature that does not exsist, the only company that i found in researching about 150 companys that FOOD BRAND from doctors research is the only 100% whole food, on the market, just wanted to share that hope you dont mind cheers
Hey Will I would really like to know some info about the doctors research vitamins. Iv been looking at their product for the last few days and am impressed but I am still hesitant to drop a load of money on them, only for them to turn out using similar practices using USP isolates in their process and calling it natural as some other companies I know of do. Would you mind getting in touch and sharing some of the results from the research that you said you did? Thanks.
I’d also really like to know! Thanks!
If you believe the megafood nonsense, you deserve to spend $150/pound on tabletted dried food that doesn’t have any published data to support the nonsensicle claims.
try Dr. David Wong’s ND line .. ( Canadian
www,Pranin.com Amazing !! 100% pure food ! Organic
Vegan , Non GMO
no additives or preservatives
gluten free
great in-clinic results for stress related conditions, weight gain, fatigue, mood swings, chronic inflammation, and infections Suzanne
I’m curious why the Megafoods products don’t list the form of folate, other than listing broccoli? I don’t get it and would love to be educated. I’ve been told in the past, but I can not confirm, that they grow broccoli sprouts in a media fortified with folic acid. If this is true I wonder what an HPLC analysis of their products would show as the real form of folate they claim, as broccoli sprouts could otherwise never provided anywhere near a concentrated level of folate sufficient for a nutritional supplement capsule. Maybe someone here knows?
Okay, here’s what I don’t get. Excessive folic acid is bad for us- so then why do we then demonize folic acid as a whole? And why do people then dose with 300, 600, 800 mcg and up to 1 mg and above? Wouldnt the solution be to knock our folic acid intake down if we were going to supplement in the first place? How about 100 mcg? Why not? and why arent supplements with this low amount easily availible?
I guess you didn’t read the article. “Folic acid” is synthetic, a completely different compound than folate. The solution is to not take folic acid at all, but talk to your doctor about taking folinic acid or methylfolate.
Folic acid is NOT the demon that some slightly hysterical people make it out to be.
When some statements about folic acid and folate make folate supplementation superior to folic acid, reports are clear.
For some people with the MTHFR genetic defect, we don’t convert folic acid as well into active folate in our bodies. However, as one that has the genetic defect, folic acid works just as well as folate to lower my homocysteine. Probably, in part, because folate doesn’t absorb as well as folic acid, in general. I take high dose folic acid and find that it works quite well without producing the “side-effects” that folate causes.
Homocystine converts to methionine if folate is present. High Homocystine levels make lymth fluid thick and allows fungus to grow inside you. Systemic fungus infection gives you mycotoxic gene changing posions. That leads to lypomas, that leads to cancer, cancer is your own bodys survival atempt to eat the excessive acidic compounds. Oxygen is alkalinic and restores cancer cells back to normal, or kills them. Folate ensures the antibody cell have the correct DNA keys to attack the parasites like fungus. Silk worm enzymes work well but make sure you have a functioning liver i.e good Bvitamins and adiquate minerals like selenium, zinc, to repair and clear the damaged tissues. An good amino suppiment and phosphotidyl should also be considered if healing is stuck. And don’t forget organic mushroom extract D3!! And LOADS of vegatables. Its the cell wall that dicides what the cell is doing not the DNA! Sorry about the spelling, I haven’t got OCD lol
Citations?