What is the difference between folic acid, folinic acid, L-methylfolate, and folate?

Folate is a water soluble vitamin, B9. Folate can come in many forms.

Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate that is not recommended for supplementation, as individuals with certain gene mutations cannot process it. Folic acid is easily confused with folinic acid, yet they are very different.

In contrast to folic acid, folinic acid is one of the forms of folate found naturally in foods. Folinic acid is highly bioavailable and quickly converts to L-methylfolate, the predominant form of folate in circulation in the body. This is a good alternative for those who cannot consume already methylated forms of folate.

L-methylfolate is the methylated form of folate that is found naturally in the body. An ‘L’ or ‘(6S)’ in front of the ‘methylfolate’ indicates it is 100% biologically active. The superior compound is known as L-5-methyltetrahydofolate (L-5-MTHF), or the glucosamine salt form, 6(S)-L-Methyltetrahydrofolate. (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate glucosamine salt is Quatrefolic®, the most advanced form of L-5-MTHF supplementation.

For a more detailed explanation about the forms of methylfolate, see Dr. Ben Lynch’s article http://mthfr.net/l-methylfolate-methylfolate-5-mthf/2012/04/05/. This article does not mention folic acid versus folinic acid.

As we are not licensed medical professionals, we cannot engage in diagnosing, dispensing medical advice, or prescribing the use of any of our products as a treatment for disease or illness. Please talk to your doctor to determine the correct dose and form of folate for you before considering the use of L-5-MTHF Lozenges.*