Folate is found in natural foods. Folic acid is synthetic and use to fortify foods.
There’s a lot of confusion about Folate and Folic Acid because they’re often used interchangeably. Hopefully today’s post provides a little clarity! :)
ā¤³Folate is Vitamin B9, naturally found in foods including animal products like liver and produce like leafy green vegetables, legumes and citrus.
ā¤³Folic acid is synthetic and is added to enriched foods, usually grains, like cereal, rice, pasta and bread. Folic acid is also very commonly used in prenatal supplements.
So:
Folate = natural, food
Folic acid = synthetic, chemical
Now of course, there’s the question of MTHFR, other kinds of synthetic Folates that can be supplemented, so on and so forth.
It’s quite a lengthy topic and I’ll be going in-depth in my upcoming course called Conscious Conception. It launches next month - sign up via the link in my bio to get updates!
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Not medical advice.
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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
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References
CDC. (2018). General Information About NTDs, Folic Acid, and Folate. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/faqs/faqs-general-info.html#:~:text=The%20terms%20%E2%80%9Cfolic%20acid%E2%80%9D%20and,(5%2DMTHF)%201..
Nichols, L. FOLATE: WHY IT’S SUPERIOR TO FOLIC ACID FOR PREGNANCY (EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE MTHFR). Retrieved from: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/folate-pregnancy-folic-acid-mthfr/.
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