Folate Summary
Folate, also known as folic acid or vitamin B9, is one of the eight B-complex vitamins. Folate cannot be manufactured by humans and is obtained exclusively from the diet. Folate is an enzyme cofactor for a wide range of enzymes, including enzymes in DNA and RNA synthesis. Folate also has important roles in DNA methylation, redox metabolism, and blood cell formation. Folate deficiency can present as fatigue, weakness, irritability, lethargy, headache, depression, palpitations, shortness of breath, constipation, frequent illness, mouth sores, and/or megaloblastic anemia. In addition to poor diet, gastrointestinal conditions, pregnancy, and certain genetic variants (SNPs) can predispose towards folate deficiency. Folate is widely prescribed to reduce the risk of birth defects, especially neural tube defects. In addition, folate is often recommended for a multitude of different diseases and situations, including brain disorders such as autism. The inactivated form of folate that is present in foods and most food supplements must be activated in the body to have biological function. Activation is slow in humans, and highly variable between people based on the presence or absence of certain gene SNPs. Very high doses of inactivated folate can result in side effects in people with slowed activation. FocusNeeds® is designed to limit side effects by only including activated folate at moderate dosing.