Vitamin B9 (methylfolate) — answers to folate, L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF)
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The naturally circulating, already-active form of folate (vitamin B9), sometimes used in supplements instead of synthetic folic acid.
Why it’s used
Taken to support folate status, particularly by people planning pregnancy or those seeking a form some believe is more readily used by the body than folic acid.
What the evidence is for
correcting folate deficiency and reducing neural tube defect risk in pregnancy.
What the evidence says
NIH ODS describes folate as established for correcting deficiency and for reducing the risk of neural tube defects when adequate folate status is present before and during early pregnancy. Most of the large supporting trials used synthetic folic acid rather than methylfolate directly; methylfolate has been studied mainly for bioavailability and for people with reduced ability to convert folic acid, with a smaller body of direct outcome research.
Dose studied
400–1000 mcg — adult RDA up to the tolerable upper intake level for folic acid forms, per NIH ODS.
Context
NIH ODS lists an adult RDA of 400 micrograms dietary folate equivalents per day, rising to 600 during pregnancy, with a tolerable upper intake level of 1,000 micrograms per day for the synthetic forms.
Educational information, not medical or safety advice. Consult a professional for allergies or medical concerns.