Last Updated on May 25, 2022 by The Health Master
Folic Acid vs. Folate: What’s the difference?
Folic acid and folate sound similar and for that very reason are used interchangeably. However, it is important to know that are quite different from each other.
Folate and folic acid are two different forms of vitamin B9, which is an essential nutrient required by the body for preventing birth irregularities, producing healthy red blood cells, improving immune function and reducing tiredness.
Low level of Vitamin B9 is linked with elevated homocysteine, birth defects and even cancer. In several countries supplementing and intake of fortified vitamin B9 foods are common.
Here we have laid down the basic difference between the two and their importance.
Folate
Folate is the naturally occurring form of vitamin B9. The word is derived from a Latin word folium which means leaf. It is clear from the name that the vitamin is found in abundance in leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale.
Folate is a type of B vitamin that’s found naturally in foods. It passes through the digestive system and enters the bloodstream through the gut.
From there, it goes to the liver where it is processed and excess of this vitamin is passed on to kidneys to be excreted through urine.
The importance of folate
Unlike Vitamin A and D, our body cannot store folate in the fat reserves. Being a water-soluble vitamin, our body easily gets rid of the excesses of folate, thereby reducing the risk of any health issues.
Hence, it is important to consume sufficient amounts of folate every day to maintain adequate levels.
A normal adult should consume 400 mcg of folate every day and for pregnant women, 600 mcg of folate is recommended.
Best sources of folate
Leafy green vegetables, like spinach, broccoli, and lettuce, beans, peas, lentils, lemons, bananas, and melons are some of the natural sources of folate.
Folic acid
Folic acid has similar functioning as folate, but it is a synthetic form of vitamin B9, commonly referred to as pteroylmonoglutamic acid.
It is found in the form of supplements and is added in fortified foods. Folic acid is more commonly used than folate for fortifying food as the latter is easily lost during cooking or baking. Heat and light can break down folate.
Folic acid supplements are generally safe, but taking high dosage may lead to nausea, bloating gas, and sleeplessness.
Moreover, our body takes time to convert folic acid to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF). Sometimes people are not even able to digest a small dose of folic acid.
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