Why does your prenatal have folate instead of folic acid? We applaud your keen eye. Let’s talk about folate versus folic acid in pregnancy. There are differences with benefits from each one.
Contents
- 1 Is it better to take folic acid or folate?
- 2 What is methylfolate?
- 3 Why do you need folate or folic acid during pregnancy?
- 4 Who is at risk for folic acid deficiency?
- 5 Can you take folate and folic acid together?
- 6 How much folate per day during pregnancy?
- 7 Besides a prenatal vitamin, where else can you get folate?
- 8 What happens if you take too much folate or folic acid?
- 9 Best Folate During Pregnancy
- 9.1 One A Day Womens Prenatal Advanced Complete Multivitamin
- 9.2 Mama Bird Prenatal Multi+
- 9.3 Pink Stork Total Prenatal Vitamin with DHA and Folic Acid
- 9.4 The Honest Company – Love The Bump Prenatal
- 9.5 Jarrow Formulas Methyl Folate 400 mcg
- 9.6 Santa Cruz Organic Creamy Light Roasted Peanut Butter
- 9.7 Organic Black Beans, 365 by Whole Foods Market
- 10 Conclusion
Is it better to take folic acid or folate?
There is a distinct difference between folic acid and folate. One is natural and the other is naturally derived but artificial. You might hear them called vitamin B9.
The reason why some people take folate for pregnancy is that it’s easier for the body to absorb. Folate is the natural form in citrus fruits and leafy greens. Meanwhile, folic acid is a synthetic type of vitamin B. Still, you can find it in foods labeled as fortified with folic acid, like some types of cereal.
Both nutrients prevent neural tube defects in developing babies so they have a healthy brain and nervous system (1).
What is methylfolate?
Sometimes you’ll see the word methylfolate (L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate) listed on the label. This is the most potent form of folate or vitamin B9.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to choose between methylfolate vs. folic acid during pregnancy. Your body turns folate and folic acid into methylfolate to use it on a cellular level (2).
Why do you need folate or folic acid during pregnancy?
Vitamin B9 is crucial for the baby’s development and also necessary for your health during pregnancy.
If you don’t get enough folate while you’re pregnant, you can end up with anemia or peripheral neuropathy (like numbness and tingling in your limbs).
If your baby doesn’t get enough folate, she won’t grow normally as she won’t have the nutrients needed for amino acids and DNA replication. Her brain and nervous system won’t develop as they should (2).
Furthermore, if your body doesn’t have enough vitamin B9 for your baby, he might be born with a cleft palate or arrive too early.
Who is at risk for folic acid deficiency?
If you don’t get enough vitamin B9 from your prenatal vitamin and/or your diet, it can harm you and your baby. Some expectant mothers have a genetic reason why they need to take folate instead of folic acid.
We all have the MTHFR gene that helps make an enzyme that processes folate. Certain variants of the gene make it harder for some people to use folate properly. In that case, supplementing with L-methyl folate works better than folic acid (3).
How do you know if you have a folic acid deficiency? A blood test can check the vitamin B9 level. You can also do a DNA test to find out if you’re at risk due to a mutation of the MTHFR gene.
Otherwise, liver disease can also keep the body from absorbing vitamin B9. And there are medications that also cause interference. These include metformin for diabetes, anticonvulsants, anti-cancer treatments, and anti-inflammatory drugs that treat Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. If you take or have taken any of these medications, check with your doctor about whether you have a vitamin deficiency.
Can you take folate and folic acid together?
We always recommend that you talk over your prenatal vitamin and your diet with your OB/GYN. With that said, most pregnant women consume both folate and folic acid. Either or both may be in the prenatal and in food.
How much folate per day during pregnancy?
It’s recommended that you take at least 400 mcg and preferably 600 mcg of folic acid or folate per day (1). Many prenatal vitamins offer more than that, plus there are folic acid or folate supplements.
Besides a prenatal vitamin, where else can you get folate?
Every time you eat food like spinach, kale, black beans, lentils, asparagus, oranges, grapefruit, and peanuts, you’re eating folate.
Also, check your box of breakfast cereal because it’s probably fortified with folic acid, too. Many pasta noodles and corn masa products like taco shells and tortilla chips are also enhanced with folic acid.
What happens if you take too much folate or folic acid?
If you’re taking too much folate, it may disguise the fact that you are lacking in vitamin B12. It can hide anemia.
Even worse, high amounts of synthetic folic acid that isn’t used by your body might possibly lead to depression and cancer. It might be best to supplement with folate instead of folic acid and eat fewer processed foods.
If you’re looking for the best sources of folate during pregnancy, here are our top picks:
| Sources of folic acid and folate | Benefits |
|---|---|
| One A Day Womens Prenatal Advanced Complete Multivitamin |
|
| Mama Bird Prenatal Multi+ |
|
| Pink Stork Total Prenatal Vitamin with DHA and Folic Acid |
|
| The Honest Company - Love The Bump Prenatal |
|
| Jarrow Formulas Methyl Folate 400 mcg |
|
| Santa Cruz Organic Creamy Light Roasted Peanut Butter |
|
| Organic Black Beans, 365 by Whole Foods Market |
|
Best Folate During Pregnancy
One A Day Womens Prenatal Advanced Complete Multivitamin
We love this prenatal because it’s a soft gel pill that’s easy to swallow. You only need to take one per day.
Where some prenatal vitamins get a bad rep for making women nauseous, this one doesn’t seem to bother most. For one, it doesn’t have a strong taste. Moreover, if you take it on an empty stomach, it doesn’t cause trouble. No wonder this is one of the top OB/GYN recommended brands.
It provides 1330 mcg DFE of folate which is equivalent to 800 mcg of folic acid. That’s over 200% of the daily value needed by pregnant and nursing women.
What’s more, it includes DHA from fish oil plus choline. These also support a healthy brain and spinal cord. Of course, it’s important to discuss your prenatal vitamin with your doctor to make sure it’s a good match for your needs.
Mama Bird Prenatal Multi+
This prenatal pill features methylfolate instead of folic acid which means it’s easier for the body to absorb and pass along to the baby. It provides 800 mcg which is 133% of the daily value.
Furthermore, it’s enhanced with an organic herbal blend of ginger and chamomile to calm nausea. It also has digestive enzymes and probiotics for better digestion.
The prenatal was developed by a neurologist who’s also a mom. It’s not surprising that it tastes nice and is easy to swallow. The flavoring is natural orange oil.
The pill is manufactured in the USA in a UL certified-facility for safety and quality.
Pink Stork Total Prenatal Vitamin with DHA and Folic Acid
The more we researched prenatals, the more women we found recommending this brand. It’s a doctor-developed pill that offers 100% of the daily nutrients needed during pregnancy. This includes 600 mcg of folate. If you’re nervous about taking too many vitamins, this is a smart balance.
Furthermore, third-party laboratory tests have verified that the pills are gluten-free and do not contain GMOs, soy, or dairy. Plus, they are vegetarian. Even the DHA comes from algae, not fish.
The company also happens to be women-owned and operated.
If there’s any downside, it’s that you’ll need to take 2 capsules per day. Each one is about as long as a quarter is wide. But at least they don’t taste bad.
The Honest Company – Love The Bump Prenatal
If you like natural products, you probably already know about this brand. One of the founders was actress Jessica Alba. They produce two different prenatal vitamins. One is whole-foods-based and the other is a regular prenatal once-daily. As you might imagine, the regular prenatal requires only one pill per day but one serving of the whole foods pill is 3 capsules.
We reviewed the one-a-day prenatal that offers 1105 mcg DFE of l-methylfolate, the easiest form for the body to use. That’s 184% of the daily value needed during pregnancy.
In order to help the body absorb all the vitamins, the prenatal is fortified with organic ginger and other herbs plus digestive enzymes. Everything is vegetarian and cruelty-free.
Jarrow Formulas Methyl Folate 400 mcg
If your prenatal pill has less folate than you need, talk with your doctor about supplementing with extra. This brand produces capsules with methyl folate, the most bioactive form of vitamin B9.
Specifically, the company uses a patent-pending technology called Quatrefolic for superior folate delivery to the body. It’s also very stable – but you’ll still need to store it away from high temperatures and sunlight.
The essential ingredient is packed inside veggie capsules. You only need one per day for 400 mcg of folate. Furthermore, you can take it with or without a meal.
We prefer this manufacturer because they do extensive in-house analysis of their products. Starting with raw materials, they weed out heavy metals and microbes. They produce the supplements in a cGMP facility that verifies the purity of the ingredients.
Santa Cruz Organic Creamy Light Roasted Peanut Butter
For every 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, you’ll get 119 mcg of folate (4). It’s one of the easiest ways to supplement your folic acid intake. Spread it on apple slices or whole-grain toast or blend it in your smoothie.
Moreover, peanut butter has other essential nutrients like protein, magnesium, niacin, and vitamin A. And when it’s made from organic roasted peanuts with no artificial additives, it’s a healthy choice. We love this tasty, creamy peanut butter with no added oil and only a dash of salt.
It’s produced by a Green-E company. Also, it’s certified gluten-free.
Organic Black Beans, 365 by Whole Foods Market
Black beans are another easy way to boost the folate in your diet. A single cup provides about 256 mcg (5). If you were to include peanut butter and black beans into your meal plan, you might not even need to take another pill. But please, discuss it with your nutritionist and OB/GYN.
These organic black beans are packed with a little sea salt to keep them fresh. They are packaged in a BPA-free can.
Conclusion
Between a prenatal vitamin and a healthy diet, it’s not hard to get all the vitamin B9 you need during pregnancy. Check with your doctor about the advantages of folate versus folic acid. Your body may find it easier to absorb folate.
If you love your prenatal vitamin or have tips for eating a diet rich in folate, we’d be glad to hear from you. Feel free to leave us a comment below.
We wish you and your baby a healthy future!
Sources:
1. https://www.marchofdimes.org/it-starts-with-mom/is-folic-acid-the-same-as-folate.aspx# Is Folic Acid The Same As Folate? By the March of Dimes
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3218540/ Greenberg JA, Bell SJ, Guan Y, Yu YH. Folic Acid supplementation and pregnancy: more than just neural tube defect prevention. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Summer;4(2):52-9. PMID: 22102928; PMCID: PMC3218540.
3. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/mthfr/ MTHFR gene methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase
4. https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/5-foods-rich-with-folic-acid.html 5 Foods Rich With Folic Acid by Roan James, reviewed by Emily DeLacey MS, RD
5. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173735/nutrients Black beans nutrient information, USDA