Folate vs. Folic Acid: What’s the Real Difference?

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Let’s talk about a nutrient that everyone TTC (trying to conceive) or pregnant has heard of: Folic Acid. But hold up - there’s another player in town that deserves the spotlight: Folate, especially in its active, methylated form.

You’ve no doubt seen and heard both names floating around -  maybe from your midwife, maybe in the press, or maybe on your fifth deep-dive Google session at 2 a.m. (no judgment here). So what’s the deal? Are they the same? Is one better? Why does this even matter?

Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9, found in whole foods like broccoli, leafy greens, chickpeas, and kidney beans.  Whereas, folic acid is the lab-made version and the one you’ll find in most traditional vitamins.

For years, folic acid was the recommended form of B9 for people who are TTC or pregnant - and don't get us wrong, it is effective. During pregnancy we have a 10-20 fold increase in folic acid requirements and research has shown that taking enough can reduce the risk of neural tube defects (like spina bifida) by up to 70%. 

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Folic acid needs to go through a few metabolic steps before your body can actually use it. And for about 40% of the population (yep, nearly half of us!), that conversion process doesn’t work so well - thanks to a common genetic mutation called MTHFR.

That means a lot of people are taking folic acid… but not absorbing what they actually need.  So what's the alternative?  “Methylfolate is a superior form of folate — it’s already active and skips the conversion step, so your body can absorb and utilise it right away," explains OVA's Medical Director, Dr Tosin Sotubo-Ajayi.  "Especially for those with the MTHFR gene mutation, this makes all the difference during preconception and pregnancy.”

The only definitive way to know if you have an MTHFR mutation is through a genetic test - something you can ask your GP for especially if you’ve had pregnancy and fertility challenges, or certain health conditions.   "With a high risk of complications if you aren’t consuming enough Folate in pregnancy, your best bet is to assume you have this variant, and to take Folate rather than Folic Acid," says Dr Tosin.