What is the difference between folate and folic acid?

Do you long for a baby, are you pregnant or breastfeeding? Are you considering using ...

Do you long for a baby, are you pregnant or breastfeeding? Are you considering taking or are you already taking folic acid? In order for the body to be able to use folic acid, it must first metabolize it to an active form, the so-called folate? Key to this transformation is an enzyme with the breakthrough name methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). With reduced activity of the MTHFR enzyme, it is not enough to take megadoses of 'ordinary' folic acid because the body cannot use it effectively. The chemical reaction does not proceed to completion and the folic acid is not converted to the active form, i.e. folate. Decreased MTHFR enzyme activity is expected to occur in up to 57% of the population.