Q: Dear Doulas and Team,
I’m newly pregnant and wondering about folic acid and folate. What’s the difference? What should I be looking for? Also, I’ve heard a lot about MTHFR gene mutation. Is this something I should be tested for?
First Trimester Worry Wart
A: Folate is the natural, most absorbable source of Vitamin B9. Folic acid is synthetically made and is not easily converted into a usable form of B9.
What if you have the MTHFR gene?
People who have the MTHFR gene are unable to break folic acid down into B9.
If you have tested positive for the mutation on the MTHFR gene, folic acid may not provide any benefits during pregnancy. Without knowing whether you have this mutation or not, there is still a high probability that your body will not be able to use the folic acid to its fullest extent. While getting tested for the MTHFR gene will give you more information on your detoxification pathways, it is not necessary to have the test to determine whether to take folic acid or folate.
Bottom line
Carefully choose a prenatal that contains L- Methyl Folate and not folic acid. If the prenatal you choose take does not contain this, you can take a separate L- Methyl Folate supplement.
Another way to obtain folate is through a variety of whole foods. The foods with the highest content are:
- Beans (mung beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, lima beans)
- Lentils
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Dandelion
- Parsley
- Spinach (and other greens like collard greens, cabbage, lettuce)
- Asparagus
- Avocadoes
- Citrus fruits (mangoes, oranges, lemons)
