WHY FOLATE IS IMPORTANT?

Folate, i.e. vitamin B9 is a water-soluble vitamin, which we mainly get from liver dishes, different beans and other legumes, green vegetables, certain berries and also from green herbs. Western diet is poor in folate, because it includes insufficient amount of legumes and green vegetables. Folate contributes to normal amino acid synthesis (amino acids are the building block for proteins), normal blood formation, normal homocysteine metabolism (in case of insufficient folate level, the content of homocysteine increases in our blood). Homocysteine is a certain amino acid that does not have a physiological role in our bodies. Its higher level is related to increased risk of heart and vascular and certain other diseases;

normal physiological function and folate has also an important role in cell division. Insufficient folate level for 2-3 months can cause a decrease in hemoglobin level and bigger than normal red blood cells.

According to 2017 nutrition study in Finland, Finnravinto, 38% of women and 29% of men (women have 100 mcg higher folate need in fertile age) did not get enough folate from food. Insufficient folate intake is the most common nutritional problem regarding water-soluble vitamins.

FOLATE VS FOLIC ACID

The absorption of folate from food, bioactive folate and synthetic folic acid is very different. Bioactive folate is already in the form that our body can absorb well. The absorption of folate from food and synthetic folic acid is much weaker due to methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme, activity. Scientific research brings out the importance of liver as the potential place for changing synthetic folic acid to bioactive folate. However, the capability of liver to change folic acid to 5-MTHF is not very good due to low and very variable dihydrofolate reductase enzyme. Due to this unmetabolized folic acid is produced, which gradually accumulates in the body. Changing of folate and synthetic folic acid to active form (5-MTHF) correlates with the efficacy of MTHFR enzyme that is determined by our genes. Bioactive folate is in the final 5-MTHF form that the body can more easily absorb.

Used literature

A. Aro, M. Mutanen, M. Uusitupa. Ravitsemustiede. 2017.

Ravitsemus Suomessa : FinRavinto 2017 -tutkimus

Additive free

Folate tablets include only four ingredients: acerola and acerola powder, carunauba wax and Quatrefolic folate. Tablets are small and easy to swallow. Our folate is suitable also for vegans.

Developed in Estonia

Our folate is developed in Estonia and produced in Finland. We check folate content after each new batch.

HOW MUCH FOLATE PER DAY?

When using folate, it is good to know your daily folate intake and if necessary, use folate supplement when needed.

You can split the tablet from the dividing line and use 200 μg of folate daily to increase your daily folate intake.

During pregnancy 400 μg of folate from supplements in recommended until the 12th week of pregnancy (WHO).

Below you can find recommended daily intake for folate in Estonia (Tervise Arengu Instituut).

ADULTS

330 μg

PREGNANT AND THOSE PLANNING PREGNANCY

600 μg + 400 μg 

INFANTS AND CHILDREN

64-310 μg 

FOLATE IN WEBSTORE