When you're preparing for pregnancy, folate is one of the most important nutrients to get right but not all forms of folate are the same. You may have seen terms like folic acid, folate, methylfolate, 5-MTHF or activated folate on supplement labels. Let’s break down what the difference is and why the form matters.
First: what is folate?
Folate is vitamin B9, an essential nutrient involved in DNA synthesis, cell division, red blood cell production and normal development of the baby’s neural tube making it a very important nutrient for preconception support and during pregnancy!
Folic acid vs methylated folate
Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 commonly used in ‘over the counter’ supplements and fortified foods. Your body needs to convert folic acid through several steps before it becomes the biologically active forms of folate that cells can use.
Methylfolate, also known as 5-MTHF, is an active form of folate. It is already in a form that can participate in the body's folate-dependent pathways, including the methylation cycle.
This is the form we've chosen to use in our preconception formula’s: Seedra and Falli.
What does MTHFR have to do with it?
Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a gene that makes an enzyme in your body which converts the folate you get from food and supplements (e.g. folate and folic acid) to an “active” folate your body can use.
Almost every cell in your body requires the active folate to function properly. Whether your issue is infertility, immune dysfunction, multiple chemical sensitivity or mood disorders, active folate makes ‘methyl groups’ that help your body function optimally
So why choose methylfolate?
For us, it's about choosing a high-quality, active form of folate for a preconception formula.
5-MTHF is already an active form of folate and works directly in folate-dependent metabolic pathways.
Why folate matters before conception
The period before conception is important because the neural tube develops extremely early in pregnancy - often before someone knows they're pregnant!
Adequate folate is also needed for normal DNA synthesis and cell division, making it particularly important during the rapid growth and development that occurs around conception and early pregnancy.
When choosing a preconception supplement, don't just look for "folate" on the label.
Look at which form of folate is being used and consider the quality of the overall formula.
Our formula uses levomefolate (methyl folate), an active form of folate that the body can use directly. Each 2-capsule serving provides the equivalent of 500 µg of levomefolic acid, supporting healthy folate levels during preconception
Because preconception nutrition starts before the positive pregnancy test!
