Many people have never even heard of methylfolate, yet it can protect you against everything from depression to cardiovascular disease. Here’s all you need to know about this supplement that has been flying under the radar until now.
A lot of people have heard about folic acid, and perhaps even folate, but methylfolate is an unfamiliar term to many people. Put simply, methylfolate is a more natural form of folate, and it’s more active and usable by the body too. When you take folate or folic acid instead of methylfolate, it requires the body to use the gene and enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) to convert it into the usable, active form, known officially as L-methylfolate.
Taking methylfolate is a better way to ensure your body has the usable folate it needs, because it doesn’t require a further internal process to take place to convert it. What’s more, some people have a gene mutation that affects the MTHFR enzyme. Many people who have this gene mutation don’t know they have it, but it means their body cannot transform folic acid or folate into methylfolate. Not only does this mean they don’t get the folate their body needs, it can lead to an unhealthy build-up of folic acid in the body, which can cause a variety of health conditions.
In essence, taking methylfolate is always the better option.
Why Does the Body Need Methylfolate?
Folate or methylfolate is the Vitamin B9, which is a substance the body vitally needs but cannot produce itself. The vitamin can be found in leafy greens such as kale and spinach. However, many people do not get enough of the vitamin through their diets alone, meaning that methylfolate supplements are necessary.
Methylfolate is an essential requirement of the body for a number of reasons. Firstly it helps the production of DNA and RNA, which is why it is especially important to take methylfolate during pregnancy. Methylfolate also helps to lower the likelihood of a baby having neural tube defects, which can cause spina bifida and brain damage, among other things.
Working in combination with vitamin B12 and B6, methylfolate also helps create red blood cells, maintain healthy iron levels and control homocysteine levels in the blood, which can therefore help lower the risk of heart disease.
What Are The Signs of Low Methylfolate Levels?
As the subject of methylfolate is not often at the forefront of someone’s mind, people can often suffer from the side effects of low levels of methylfolate without realizing it.
For women, one sign of not having enough methylfolate can be fertility-related issues. Low levels of methylfolate can impact the way the body deals with estrogen, which can cause hormonal imbalances. This can cause symptoms such as heavy periods, fibroids, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Low levels of methylfolate can also cause infertility or recurrent miscarriage – and anyone suffering from this should get tested to see if they have the MTHFR gene mutation.
Research is increasingly pointing to the importance of methylfolate for healthy brain function too. This is because it has a direct impact on the production and metabolism of dopamine, serotonin, noradrenalin and adrenalin, which all affect neurotransmitters that influence mood. People who suffer from depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder may be helped by taking methylfolate supplements. The higher levels of homocysteine typically experienced by people who don’t have enough methylfolate can also affect memory, with the possibility of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease being linked with this.
A low level of methylfolate has also been linked to symptoms that are less specific. They are often the symptoms that could be due to a number of factors, so people just live with them rather than trying to find a cause. Low energy is one such symptom. Low levels of methylfolate – along with other essential vitamins and minerals such as B6, B12, magnesium and zinc – can cause particular parts of the body to function less well. This includes the thyroid, nervous system and adrenal gland, and when these function sub-optimally, we can tend to feel very tired.
There are also a number of other symptoms that may in part be caused by not having enough methylfolate in the system. While some symptoms may be caused by other factors, it is worth trying a methylfolate supplement to see if it does make a difference. People with allergies and skin issues such as hay fever and eczema have reported their symptoms lessening after taking methylfolate. People who generally suffer from congestion and a runny nose without a specific known cause can also gain some relief.
Another area in which methylfolate can help is with digestive issues. People with either irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or confirmed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can also feel better with some methylfolate intake. Any inflammatory issue puts a strain on the body and means more essential vitamins and minerals are used up, which is why a methylfolate supplement can help to keep the body on track.