Lately I’ve been hearing versions of the same question: Do I really need folic acid?Isn’t it synthetic? What about methylfolate?
There are few nutrients that have been studied as much folic acid, and yet few that generate as much confusion. Lately I’ve been hearing versions of the same question: Do I really need folic acid? Isn’t it synthetic? What about methylfolate?
Folic acid is a form of vitamin B9, a nutrient the body relies on to make DNA, build red blood cells, and support rapid growth. Those jobs matter throughout life, but they’re especially critical in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, when the baby’s brain and spinal cord are forming, often before a woman realizes she’s expecting.
Folate is the naturally occurring form of vitamin B9 found in foods like leafy greens, beans, citrus fruits, and liver. When we eat these foods, our bodies can absorb and use folate directly.
Folic acid, on the other hand, is the synthetic, more stable form added to supplements and fortified foods such as flour, bread, cereal, and pasta. Once ingested, folic acid is converted by the body into the same active folate it uses from food.
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