Folate is vitamin B9, which belongs to the group of water-soluble vitamins💦. Folic acid, a chemically synthesized molecule, is found in fortified foods 🍞 and in many dietary supplements. Folic acid 🥬 itself is inactive in the human body and is a precursor for the bioactive molecule 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF). It is formed in the liver. Folic acid is more heat stable and much cheaper than its active form, so it is generally the preferred form for production, sale and therapeutic use.
Folic acid is primarily absorbed in the small intestine in the proximal jejunum. It is degraded by light💡 (that's why it's important to buy it in dark cans), high temperatures 🔥(above 100°C), high oxygen concentrations and low pH.
The active form of folic acid, 5-MTHF, is biosynthesized from folic acid by a series of molecular reactions in the liver. It first reduces to dihydrofolate, then to tetrahydrofolate. This happens mainly in hepatocytes (liver cells). It is then metabolized to 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate and finally to methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate.
The results of studies tell us that folic acid supplementation before pregnancy can increase the likelihood of conception (most likely by reducing the frequency of anovulatory cycles). At the same time, it seems that the quality of oocytes can also improve🥚.
It is generally accepted that folic acid supplementation in the preconception period protects against the development of neural tube defects. Intake of 400 ug/day of folic acid during pregnancy ensures sufficient folate during organogenesis and reduces the risk of neural tube defects by 50-70%.🙌🏻
The authors of the study claim that active folic acid supplementation during pregnancy is more beneficial than inactive folic acid supplementation because it does not require metabolic activation, is directly biologically available to the mother and fetus, and is not affected by possible MTHFR gene mutations.✔️
Verra Fertility & Pregnancy Complex contains 400 ug of active folic acid👀😬.
Verra team💕