Optimized Folate (L-Methylfolate)

Life Extension Optimized Folate

Why vitamin B11 as methylfolate (5-MTHF)?

You can find vitamin B11 in multiple forms as a supplement. Folic acid is the synthetic form and the best known. Folate is the natural form of vitamin B11.

Methylfolate is the active form of vitamin B11 in the body. Folic acid and folate must first be converted to methyl folate before you can use it. Not everyone is equally good at this conversion due to genetic variations in the MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) gene. You can therefore have a vitamin B11 deficiency even if you take a folate or folic acid supplement.

Methylfolate is immediately effective when you supplement it. This ensures that your vitamin B11 levels are in order, even if you have a less favourable MTHFR gene (or are unaware of this).

Optimized Folate from Life Extension

Life Extension provides methylfolate as a 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) calcium salt. This active form of vitamin B11 is 7 times more bioavailable than normal folic acid supplements.

Benefits of vitamin B11

• contributes to normal metabolism of homocysteine
• contributes to normal amino acid synthesis
• contributes to normal mental performance
• contributes to stress resistance
• helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue
• ensures good resistance
• contributes to the formation of red and white blood cells
• helps with the process of cell division
• contributes to tissue growth during pregnancy

More active than 'regular' folate and DFE

5-MTHF is a more active form of vitamin B11 than 'regular' folate. The effect of 5-MTHF is therefore also expressed in terms of activity: Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE). This means that 1000 mcg of 5-MTHF is as active as 1700 mcg of folate.