The topic of nutrition during pregnancy can be confusing – and social media doesn’t always help. For example, you may have seen many posts on Instagram and TikTok questioning the difference between methylfolate and folic acid in prenatal vitamins. If you’re pregnant, these videos may have you wondering which supplement to take and why.
The short answer: You should take a folic acid supplement during your pregnancy. It is the only researched and proven supplement to take to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in your developing baby. These are serious birth defects in which the baby’s spinal cord does not close properly. THE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)THE American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)THE American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the US Preventive Services Task Force all confirm the importance of folic acid intake during pregnancy. No scientific studies show that supplements containing other forms of folate are effective in preventing neural tube defects.
If you are unsure about the supplements you are taking, it is important to always talk to your provider about what you need for your health and that of your baby. BabyCenter experts tell you more about the different forms of this B vitamin, plus what the research says about what to take when you’re expecting.
What is the difference between folate and folic acid?
Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 and is found in certain foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and leafy greens. Folic acid is the synthetic – or artificial – version of folate, meaning it is not found naturally in foods, but can be added to some fortified foods like cereals, as well as supplements, says Shy Vishnumohan, Ph.D., certified prenatal dietitian, folate researcher and founder of The pregnancy dietitian.
Folic acid is used in food fortification, the process of adding vitamins and minerals to foods (or your prenatal vitamins), because it is more heat stable than folate, according to the CDC. For decades, folic acid supplementation has been recommended for pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects. The CDC says these recommendations are based on numerous randomized controlled trials and food fortification programs that monitor nutrients added to our foods.
Methylfolate, sometimes listed on ingredient labels as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-MTHF, or (6S)-5-MTHF, is an active form of folate that is also found naturally in foods like legumes and leafy greens, but can be added to some supplements. Also.
Is methylfolate better absorbed by the body?
“The majority of pregnant women are able to convert folic acid to folate without any problems,” says Jessica Madden, MD, a pediatrician, neonatologist, and lactation consultant. This means that for most people, methylfolate is not absorbed by the body any better than folic acid.
Concerns have recently been raised that people with the MTHFR (variant) polymorphism may have difficulty absorbing folic acid and may have an easier time absorbing folate in the form of a methylfolate supplement. However, the CDC confirms that folic acid supplements increase the amount of folate in the body, even in people with MTHFR variants. The organization emphasizes that there is no scientific evidence that methylfolate prevents neural tube defects.
There are always exceptions, Dr. Madden says, and working with your provider can help you feel confident in which supplementation options are right. You during pregnancy.
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Why is folic acid the recommended form of B9 during pregnancy?
The reason folic acid is recommended over other forms of folate or B vitamins is based on data: “Much research confirms that folic acid supplementation prevents neural tube defects in babies,” explains Dr. Madden. Besides neural tube defects, there is evidence that folic acid supplementation can also prevent miscarriages and other types of birth defects, according to the Office of Women’s Health. It also protects pregnant women from developing folate deficiency. anemiaa condition that stops your body from functioning properly and, in some cases, can lead to problems with your baby’s brain or spinal cord.
ACOG recommends that pregnant women consume 600 micrograms of folic acid per day. Some of this intake may come from diet, but because it is difficult to obtain enough folic acid from food alone, the organization recommends that all expectant parents take a prenatal vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, starting at least one month before pregnancy and throughout your pregnancy. If you’ve already had a child with a neural tube defect, you may need more folic acid than this – your provider can advise you on exactly how much and how often to take it.
Part of the reason folic acid is the standard of care for pregnant women is that studying other types of supplementation, like methylfolate supplementation, would be challenging and could raise ethical concerns, says Amber Samuel, MD., specialist in maternal-fetal medicine and medical director of Pediatrix Medical Group in Houston.
“As folic acid is the standard of care, assessing whether alternative supplementation is advisable would involve asking a group of patients to not taking a known life-saving supplement and possibly risking fetal abnormalities, which would be a difficult task to accomplish,” says Dr. Samuel.
When looking for a prenatal vitamin, try to find an option with folic acid as an ingredient or talk to your healthcare provider so they can help.
