Tablet
Methylfolate 1000 mcg (Quatrefolic®)
Nervous System Support
$12.00
$0.40 a day · 30-day supply
Folate in its active methylated form as Quatrefolic. Supports the methylation cycle that produces SAM-e, the body's main methyl donor.
In depth
About this supplement
What Is Methylfolate 1000 mcg (Quatrefolic®)?
Quatrefolic is a glucosamine salt of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid: folate in the form that already circulates in blood, paired with glucosamine to make a stable, water-soluble crystal. The glucosamine is non-animal and shellfish-free. It supplies 1,000 mcg of folate per serving.
How It Works in the Body
The 6S in the name matters. Folate is chiral, and only the 6S form fits the enzymes that use it, so a racemic mixture carries an unusable 6R twin along for the ride. 5-MTHF is the end point of the folate pathway, which is why nothing has to be converted before it can act.
From there it runs the methylation cycle. It donates its methyl group to regenerate methionine, methionine becomes SAM-e, and SAM-e methylates DNA, neurotransmitters and dozens of other substrates before the loop returns to the start.
What It Supports
- Methylation: Supports the methylation cycle that produces SAM-e, the body's main methyl donor.
- Homocysteine: Helps maintain homocysteine levels already within the normal range.
- Nervous system: Folate contributes to normal nervous system and psychological function.
- Blood formation: Folate plays a role in normal blood cell formation.
Who It May Suit
The glucosamine is shellfish-free and the capsule is vegetable cellulose, so it suits vegetarians and people with a shellfish allergy. Folate needs climb before conception and through pregnancy, and people who eat few leafy greens or legumes tend to run lower.
Good To Know
Folate and vitamin B12 work as a pair, so B12 status is worth knowing first. Talk with your provider before use, especially if you take methotrexate or an antiseizure medicine, since both interfere with folate.
FAQ
Common questions
What is Quatrefolic methylfolate?
Folate in its active, methylated form, supplied as the glucosamine salt of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, at 1,000 mcg per serving. Folate is vitamin B9, and this is the form the body already carries in blood, so no enzymatic conversion is needed before it can be put to work.
How does it work?
5-MTHF drives the methylation cycle. It gives up its methyl group to regenerate methionine, which becomes SAM-e. SAM-e then donates methyl groups to DNA, to neurotransmitters and to many other molecules, and the cycle comes back around to folate. Vitamin B12 is needed at the hand-off point.
What makes this form different from folic acid?
The salt and the stereochemistry. Pairing 5-MTHF with glucosamine rather than calcium makes a crystal that dissolves readily in water and holds its form well in a tablet, and only the usable 6S isomer is present. The glucosamine is non-animal and shellfish-free.
Who is it for?
Anyone who prefers the methylated form of folate, vegetarians, and people with a shellfish allergy, since the glucosamine here is not shellfish-derived. Folate needs are higher before conception and during pregnancy, and diets short on leafy greens, legumes and citrus tend to run lower.
What should I know before taking it?
Talk with your provider before use if you take methotrexate, sulfasalazine or an antiseizure medicine such as phenytoin, as each one interacts with folate. Folate and vitamin B12 are linked closely enough that a high folate intake can obscure the blood signs of low B12, so check both.
Ingredients
What is in it
Every ingredient, as listed on the label.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 1 veg capsule
| Ingredient | Amount Per Serving | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Folate [as Quatrefolic®, (6S)-5-Methyltetrahydrofolic acid, glucosamine salt] | 1000 mcg | 250% |
Other Ingredients: Rice Powder, Vegetable Cellulose (Capsule), L-Leucine, Silicon Dioxide.
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