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Why, the type of folate you take matters.

We have a problem.

When discussing vitamin B9, common parlance is to use folic acid and folate interchangeably,

as if the two are different terms for the same thing. Talk to most

OBGYNs about the type of vitamin B9 in your prenatal, and they'll say the difference doesn't

matter. Look at the average nutrition label, and it'll list folic acid rather than folate, even though

it's naturally occurring. They are not the same.

The difference is meaningful.

Our bodies don't actually use folic acid or folate.

They convert them into 5-methal tetrahydropholate, the usable form of folate.

Folic acid must go to the liver for conversion into 5-methaletrehydropholate.

But there's a problem. The liver doesn't always make enough of the enzyme necessary to convert folic acid into tetrahydropholate.

Organic folates, like the ones found in food, or supplemental 5-methaletrehydrofolate, don't have this problem.

They're easily converted into tetrahydropholate at the gut level upon consumption.

Okay, okay, so maybe just take a little more folic acid to make sure you produce enough tetrahydrofolate, right? Flood the pathways, root force conversion.

That same tactic used by millions of OBGYNs to get their patients folate levels up to par

may have unintended consequences. Unconverted folic acid can end up circulating throughout the body where it has unwanted side effects.

Let's explore three of them.

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