“Vitamin B9 (5-Methyltetrahydrofolate)?”Here!L-methylfolate, active folate
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As a supplement
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
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A naturally occurring, already-active form of folate (vitamin B9), distinct from the synthetic folic acid commonly used in fortified foods and standard supplements.
Why it’s used
Taken to support folate status, sometimes chosen over folic acid by people interested in a form that does not require the same conversion step in the body.
What the evidence is for
supporting folate status and reducing neural tube defect risk in pregnancy.
What the evidence says
NIH ODS confirms folate is essential for cell division and DNA synthesis, and that adequate folate intake before and during early pregnancy is linked to lower risk of neural tube defects, based largely on folic acid trials. Evidence specifically comparing 5-methyltetrahydrofolate to folic acid for these established benefits is more limited, though it is generally considered comparably absorbed.
Dose studied
400–600 mcg — adult RDA to pregnancy RDA in dietary folate equivalents, per NIH ODS.
Context
NIH ODS expresses folate needs in micrograms of dietary folate equivalents (DFE); the adult RDA is 400 mcg DFE/day, rising to 600 mcg DFE/day in pregnancy. The tolerable upper intake level set by NIH ODS applies to synthetic folic acid, not to natural food folate or 5-MTHF specifically.
Rumors
Supporting folate status and reducing neural tube defect risk in pregnancy.
Supports — establishedhealth and safety evidence
Studied in: women capable of becoming pregnant / pregnant women.
Measured as an outcome.
- Folate - Health Professional Fact Sheet (Regulatory) · Funding not checked
How much is a reference amount
- 400 mcg DFE a dayfor adults 19 and over · Recommended Dietary Allowance
Upper limit 1,000 mcg a day, from supplements and fortified foods — it does not apply to the nutrient as it occurs in food and only to synthetic folic acid — not to folate as it occurs in food.
The RDA is in dietary folate equivalents; the UL is in mcg of SYNTHETIC folic acid from supplements and fortified foods only — the FNB set no UL for folate from food. A label stating plain mcg cannot be compared to the DFE figure without knowing the form.
Every applicable line is shown because we don’t know which one is yours, and a reference intake is a target for a population, not a threshold for harm.