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Your Guide to Folate & Folic Acid

January 13, 2016

Folic acid matters, and the type of folic acid matters too.

Folic acid is an important nutrient before conception and throughout pregnancy. For women thinking about becoming pregnant, adopting a healthy lifestyle and getting enough folic acid are among the most important things they can do to help prevent birth defects. Folic acid, a form of folate, plays a key role in supporting healthy brain and spinal cord development and also neural tube closure.1

A complete neural tube closure is needed for the spinal cord to develop properly. This closure occurs very early in the pregnancy, by 28 days post-conception.2 For this reason it is recommended that pregnant women consume 800 mcg (0.8 mg) of folate.3 Taking prenatal vitamins one month prior to becoming pregnant can help build reserves and meet folic acid needs during spinal development.

The Forms of Folic Acid & Their Properties

Folic acid is found in several different forms with different properties.

Prenatal Vitamins with Folate

Folate: Natural form of Folic Acid

Folate is a form of folic acid that occurs in nature. It is found in leafy green vegetables, beans, peas, and citrus fruit, just to name a few. However, folate becomes unstable and loses its health benefits when it not fresh or when foods are cooked.7 Because of this, many foods like cereal and breads, are fortified with a more stable, synthetic form of folate called folic acid. 

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Folic Acid: Synthetic form of Folate

Folic acid is a man-made form of folate. Because of its health benefits and stable properties, it is often found in vitamin supplements, especially prenatal vitamins. However, synthetic folic acid cannot be used by the body directly.4 Once consumed, folic acid undergoes a series of chemical transformations to a more bio-available, absorbable form. Unfortunately approximately 40% to 70% of women in the United States have a common mutation that impairs how they well they metabolize folic acid to a form the body can absorb.5,6 

Prenatal Vitamins with folic acid

L-methylfolate: Highly Absorbable form of Folate

L-methylfolate and other, so-called reduced folates, are a bio-available form of folate, meaning they can be used and absorbed more directly by the body. L-methylfolate exhibits greater bioactivity than folic acid or folate, even for women that are burdened by the mutation that affects folic acid metabolism.5 This means that women who take L-methylfolate do not have to worry if they are among the 40% to 70% of women unable to effectively convert folic acid into a usable form.

Prenatal Vitamins with Folic Acid

The Prenate® Vitamin Family offers nutritional support for mothers and their babies for every step of pregnancy and after delivery. The family of prenatal vitamins contains 1 mg of folate in each pill. Prenate Pixie®, Prenate Mini®, Prenate® Enhance, Prenate® Restore and Prenate® Chewable all provide 1 mg of folate, as a blend of 600 mcg of bioavailable L-methylfolate and 400 mcg of traditional folic acid.5 Start your pregnancy strong with robust a dose of key nutrients. Enjoy the benefits of prenatal vitamins that can help fill nutritional gaps from preconception to pregnancy and into postpartum. Ask your doctor if a Prenate® Vitamin is right for you. Click here to learn more about the Prenate® Vitamin Family.

Connect with Prenate®

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

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