Folic acid is arguably the most commonly discussed supplement when it comes to fertility and pregnancy. But did you know that not all of us can utilise folic acid efficiently?
What exactly is folic acid?
Folic acid is the synthetic version of naturally occurring folate, or vitamin B9. We all know that it is super important for pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida, as well as reduce the risk of congenital heart defects, preterm labour and low birth weight. It has also been linked to improved fertility and higher IVF success rates.
Folic acid is an inactive form of folate, meaning that once ingested our bodies need to convert it into its active form 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (or 5-MTHF). In contrast to folate, folic acid can not be found in whole foods and is only present in foods that have been fortified.
What is the MTHFR gene variation?
Remember how I said that the beginning that some of us can't utilise folic acid efficiently? That's because some of us have the MTHFR gene variation which in short means that our bodies are unable to efficiently convert folic acid into its active form 5-MTHF. To what extend this is the case very much depends on the number of gene variations that are present. MTHFR gene variations are incredibly common and are estimated to affect 40% of the population. Read that again - 40%!! In a nutshell this means roughly half the population have an impaired ability to utilise folic acid. Not only that, but the intake of folic acid when the MTHFR gene variation is present is thought to lead to a build up of unused folic acid in the body which can lead to other health issues.
What now?
The good news is that most of the high quality prenatal supplements now contain activated forms of folate which are easily absorbed and utilised by the body. When choosing a prenatal supplement, look for folate, methylfolate, l-methylfolate, 5-MTHF or folinic acid on the label.
There are also loads of great whole food sources of folate which I would absolutely encourage you to include in your diet daily. Some foods particularly rich in folate include spinach, asparagus, broccoli, legumes, nuts, seeds, oranges, bananas and papaya.
So why do some prenatal vitamins still contain folic acid?
It takes between 15-20 years for the latest research to be included in the NICE guidelines so in short, the guidelines simply haven't caught up with the science yet. In addition, folate is over 250x more expensive than the equivalent amount of folic acid and sadly some of the cheaper supplement companies put profits on the top of their priority list.
As Nutritional Therapists we are extremely lucky that we are not limited by the guidelines which are somewhat outdated. Instead we are able to work with the latest cutting edge research to make the best decisions for our clients.
Are you confused by all the nutrition and supplement advice out there? I'd love to help you cut through the noise. Get in touch today to book a free 30 minute phone call and find out how I may be able to help you on your journey. No strings attached :)
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