Folate As Quatrefolic^®

Benefits of Folate

Folate is one of the most important nutrients you can take during the preconception period and during pregnancy for its many benefits.^1-4 Folate is important in DNA/RNA synthesis, red blood cell synthesis, and most notably neural tube closure.^4-7 In addition, healthy levels of folate correlate to healthier, fuller term pregnancies.⁸ Quatrefolic^®, found in PrimaCare™, provides the main folate form in blood and cord serum and can directly enter the folate cycle.^8,9

Folate vs. Folic Acid

Humans cannot naturally make folate, so it must be obtained from the diet. Folate is the generic term for both naturally occurring food/dietary folate and synthetic folic acid.⁴ Dietary folate is naturally occurring and is found in many foods such as leafy green vegetables, legumes, egg yolk, liver, and citrus fruit.³ Folic acid is a synthetic more stable form of naturally occurring folate that is present in artificially enriched foods and pharmaceutical vitamins.³ Folic acid and folate both must undergo a series of chemical reactions in the body to be converted to the usable, bioavailable form of folate 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate.^3,4 PrimaCare™ contains a blend of both folic acid and Quatrefolic^®. Quatrefolic^® provides a bioavailable form of folate.

Quatrefolic^®

Quatrefolic^® is the bioavailable, highly soluble form of folate ((6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate glucosamine salt) and can be directly absorbed and used without further metabolic reactions.^8,9 Since no further metabolism is required to absorb Quatrefolic^®, even women who may have a genetic predisposition, such as the MTHFR polymorphism, which impairs proper metabolism, are able to properly absorb folate.^1,3 It is estimated more than half of the population are affected by the MTHFR polymorphism in the United States.^3,13 Supplementing with a bioavailable folate may have positive implications not only for neural tube closure in early pregnancy, but other bodily functions such as red cell development and DNA and RNA synthesis.^3,4 Folate and vitamin B12 are both required for normal red blood cell development, which is important while pregnant as blood volume can as much as double.^4,10-12 When looking for a prenatal vitamin, remember folate! You won’t regret it!