The name “folate” refers to a number of different forms of Vit B-9. B-9, a water-soluble component known as “folic acid,” may be manufactured or added to meals and nutritional supplements.
Despite the fact that Vit B-9 is required for numerous vital functions, folate insufficiency is one of the most prevalent dietary deficits. As people become older, the number of people with low folate levels rises. The deficiency is mostly due to a lack of folate-rich foods. Despite this, many people suffer from health problems that make it difficult for them to absorb natural folate. Some people are born with an inability to properly metabolize folic acid.
To provide customers extra B-9, certain foods are branded “fortified” or have synthetic folic acid added to their formulae. However, some evidence suggests that if too much folic acid is left unmetabolized in the circulation, it might cause problems, particularly in the elderly. Even in people who have a fast folate metabolism, folic acid breaks down far more slowly than natural folate. It is activated with the help of the liver and other tissues.
What sets L-Methylfolate different from other folates?
Methyl-Life® PRO’s L-Methylfolate is the physiologically active version of folate. When you eat folate or synthetic folic acid, your body absorbs it. It initially converts to L-methylfolate. L-methylfolate has been proven to enhance circulating active folate in the body more efficiently than folic acid because it avoids the folic acid metabolic cycle.
What is the impact of L-methylfolate on the brain?
The conversion of homocysteine to methionine, which is essential for mental health, requires L-methylfolate. The body utilizes methionine to make proteins, such as neurotransmitters. Severe sadness and other psychiatric diseases are usually connected to neurotransmitter deficiencies. Although L-methylfolate is a nutrient rather than a drug, it is the only active ingredient in the medicinal meal Deplin, widely recommended for antidepressants. L-methylfolate can aid in the production of adequate neurotransmitters in the brain to maintain a healthy mood and energy level. While certain medical foods, such as Deplin, are only available with a prescription, L-methylfolate is available without one.
Assume your dietary supplement contains L-methylfolate, which is a type of folate. In that situation, your body utilizes the vitamin for a variety of functions. Lowering homocysteine levels is also a benefit of L-Methylfolate (with or without an MTHFR mutation).
What causes a folate deficiency?
At least half of the human population believes they have an inherited MTHFR gene mutation. The MTHFR gene produced the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme, which is an important element of the folic acid cycle.
Some persons with MTHFR mutations go about their daily lives symptom-free, depending on the mutation they acquired. Others, on the other hand, will observe a 30-70 percent decrease in enzyme efficiency.
What Are the Benefits of L-Methylfolate?
L-methylfolate is a dietary supplement that can help you acquire more active folate in your bloodstream, which can help you get rid of homocysteine. It is safe to take even if you have two standard copies of the MTHFR gene. Folic acid is frequently regarded to be a more effective folate supplement. If you have an MTHFR mutation and/or a folate shortage, L-methylfolate may be just what your brain needs to improve your mood and energy levels.
Of course, before making any changes to your health regimen, you should always see your doctor. Your body may circumvent the folic acid cycle while still enjoying all of the advantages of vitamin B-9 if you take an L-methylfolate tablet. You may need to supplement your folate consumption based on your diet, existing folate status, genetic susceptibility, and doctor’s advise. L-Methylfolate tablets come in a variety of dosages. L-methylfolate is a folate source in several of Metabolic Maintenance’s multivitamin/mineral formulations.
References:
- Clarke, Robert, et al. “Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in later life.” Age and ageing 33.1 (2004): 34-41.
- Hauser, W. Allen. “Folic acid supplementation: too much of a good thing?.” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 80.5 (2009): 468-468.
- Greenberg, James A., et al. “Folic acid supplementation and pregnancy: more than just neural tube defect prevention.” Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology 4.2 (2011): 52.
- DEPLIN Website. Covington, LA: Alfasigma USA, Inc.; 2017. www.deplin.com
- Papakostas, George I., et al. “L-methylfolate as adjunctive therapy for SSRI-resistant major depression: results of two randomized, double-blind, parallel-sequential trials.” American Journal of Psychiatry 169.12 (2012): 1267-1274.
- McCaddon, Andrew, and Peter R. Hudson. “L-methylfolate, methylcobalamin, and N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease-related cognitive decline.” CNS spectrums 15.S1 (2010): 2-5.
- Lamers, Yvonne, et al. “Supplementation with [6 S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid equally reduces plasma total homocysteine concentrations in healthy women.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 79.3 (2004): 473-478.
- Kaiser Permanente. “Basic Information About the MTHFR Gene.” The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. Copyright 2015, last reviewed 2018. https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/Images/GEN_MTHFR_tcm63-938252.pdf
- Rao, Dowlathabad Muralidhara, et al. “Comparative modeling of methylentetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme and its mutational assessment: in silico approach.” International Journal of Bioinformatics Research 2.1 (2010): 5-9.
- Said, Hamid M. “Intestinal absorption of water-soluble vitamins in health and disease.” Biochemical Journal 437.3 (2011): 357-372.
- Penn State Hershey. “Possible Interactions with: Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)” Milton S Hershey Medical Center. Copyright 2011. http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=107&pid=33&gid=000993
