Folate vs. Folic Acid: Understanding the Crucial Difference for a Healthy Pregnancy

By: Sabrina Granniss, IBCLC

5 min

Supplementing folate before & during pregnancy Folate, folic acid & methylation Conditions that interfere with converting folate: Reading Labels Recommended Daily Folate Amounts(3) Folate rich foods Folic acid enriched foods Folate vs Folic acid Shop Related Blogs Footnotes References

In 1998, it was recognized that not all people had a diet that consisted of enough folate, which is imperative for preventing neural tube defects in babies. The United States made it mandatory to fortify processed cereal and grain foods with folic acid. Doing so has reduced the incidence of neural tube defects in babies by 28%.(5)

Folate and Folic acid are part of the water-soluble B vitamin group. Vitamin B9 is essential in many areas of the body and overall health. It is necessary to form DNA and red blood cells and is involved in cell division. It is very important for fertility, our mood, and for our brain to be able to learn and understand the world through our senses.

The words folate and folic acid are often used interchangeably; however, they are different.

Reading information and trying to decipher if it relates to folate or folic acid can make it confusing. Folate is often used as a general term. Under this umbrella falls more specific types, including folic acid, dihydrofolate (DHF), tetrahydrofolate (THF), 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (5, 10-MTHF), and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF).

Supplementing folate before & during pregnancy

It is optimal to increase folate intake before getting pregnant. It is needed for the very first weeks and months of pregnancy when cells are dividing rapidly. (6) Natural folate crosses the placenta and is available to the fetus at a higher rate than folic acid. Folic acid may even block the body’s receptors from being able to utilize active natural folate

During pregnancy, folate is crucial for the baby’s brain, nerves, healthy spine, and spinal cord development. (7)(11) A folate deficiency can lead to serious neural tube defects in babies. Taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin supplement containing folate can help support your baby.

Folate, folic acid & methylation

In the body, folate and folic acid are converted into an available form the body can use. A methyl donor is added to folate, which activates it, making it available to be used by the body.

Methylation is critical for keeping our body running smoothly. Methylation happens in almost every cell in our body and can turn on and off different genes, affecting what gets expressed and what does not. (1) We all have genetic predispositions for characteristics and different diseases. The process of methylation affects a gene's ability to be expressed or not.

Methylation is a bigger problem for people who have a hard time with the conversion process. (10)

Conditions that interfere with converting folate:

MTHFR gene variants
Celiac disease
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

If this is the case for you, it is recommended that you take a form of folate that is already active. Methylfolate is an active form of Folate. In supplements, 5-methyl-THF is generally better than folic acid. (2)

Reading Labels

On the Nutrition Facts label for food or the Supplement Facts on vitamin and supplement bottles, you will find information about how much and what form of each nutrient is in the product. Some labels do not list all the information you will be looking for. In this case, you should call the company to find out or choose a product from a company that is more transparent about the information they put on their label.

mcg stands for micrograms. One microgram is equal to one-millionth of one gram.
DFE stands for Dietary Folate Equivalent. It represents the bioavailability of folate
DV equals the recommended daily value that food or supplements contribute to your diet.

Recommended Daily Folate Amounts (3)

Birth - 6 months 65 mcg DFE
7 - 12 months 80 mcg DFE
1 - 3 years 150 mcg DFE
4 - 8 years 200 mcg DFE
9 - 13 years 300 mcg DFE
14 - 18 years 400 mcg DFE
19 + years 400 mcg DFE
During pregnancy, 600 mcg DFE
During lactation, 500 mcg DFE

Folate rich foods

Asparagus - 4 boiled spears have 22% DV or 89 mcg DFE
Brussel sprouts - ½ cup boiled has 20% DV or 78 mcg DFE
Dark leafy greens like ½ cup of boiled spinach have 33% DV or 131 mcg DFE
Oranges have 7% DV for one small orange or 289 mcg DFE
Nuts and seeds (8)(9)
Beans and peas, like ½ cup of boiled black-eyed peas, have 26% DV or 105 mcg DFE
Beef liver 3 oz has 54% DV or 215 mcg DFE

Folic acid enriched foods

Enriched bread has 13% DV or 50 mcg DFE
Enriched flours
Enriched pasta has 19% DV or 74 mcg DFE
Enriched rice has 22% DV or 90 mcg DFE
Enriched cornmeal
Fortified breakfast cereal has 25% DV or 100 mcg DFE

Folate vs Folic acid

Folate is naturally occurring in food. You can not eat too much folate.
Taking too much Folic acid can potentially be dangerous.
Folic Acid is not naturally found in food; it is a synthetic form of Vitamin B9.
Too much Folic acid can leave too much unmetabolized folic acid in the body, potentially impacting the immune system (3) and causing health issues. (3)
People who suffer from depression often need more Folate. Taking 5-methyl-THF may help with symptoms of postpartum depression. (4)
Folate is found in natural, whole foods. We know a diet of whole foods is best for nutrient density, gut health, and overall growth, development, and well-being.
Folic acid is added to highly processed foods, which add less nutritional value than a whole-food diet. Highly processed foods can damage the gut and cause other health issues.

Adequate folate is vital during each stage of life. During some stages like pregnancy and lactation, we need more Vitamin B9 to meet our body’s needs and our baby’s requirements. A diet rich in foods that contain naturally occurring folate will help support you and your baby. Adding in a high-quality prenatal vitamin supplement with a form of folate that is best utilized by your body, depending on your unique health history, can help increase your total amount of folate.

Legendairy Milk’s Dynamic Duo Prenatal vitamin supplement has you covered. It contains 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the form of folate, not folic acid, which is best for you and your baby.