• The bioactive form of folic acid.

MegaFolinic

MegaFolinic is a new highly bioavailable source of folic acid.  Mega-Folinic bypasses several steps needed to convert dietary folates into the metabolically active 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF).

When folic acid is absorbed into the body, it must undergo several metabolic steps before converting to L-methylfolate, the active form of folate in the blood and the only type that can cross the blood-brain barrier.

Unfortunately, about 20% of the population fail to convert folic acid to l-methylfolate, and thus do not receive the full nutritional benefits of folic acid.  When the body does not convert enough folic acid to L-methyl folate, excess levels of homocysteine may accumulate.  Hundreds of published studies have linked excessive homocysteine with common age-related problems. 

L-Methylfolate

Metafolin provides pure L-methylfolate.  Unlike regular folic acid, Metafolin does not require enzymatic conversion to L-methylfolate in the body.  By providing L-methylfolate directly, this patented form of folic acid may have benefits for those who do not produce enough L-methylfolate in response to folic acid supplementation.  For those who take proper doses of folic acid, vitamins B12 and B6, and TMG (trimethylglycine), but still suffer from higher-than-optimal homocysteine, Metafolin may be the solution.

Unfortunately, Metafolin is now only available as a prescription pharmaceutical.  We were led to believe that Metafolin is no longer available in the market as a nutritional supplement because it is far more profitable to sell it exclusively as a pharmaceutical. 

Folic Acid

Folate and folic acid are necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate and folic acid are needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. Folate and folic acid also help prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Both adults and children need folate and folic acid to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia.

Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin that is found in supplements and fortified foods. Folate gets its name from the Latin word "folium" for leaf. A key observation of researcher Lucy Wills nearly 70 years ago led to the identification of folate as the nutrient needed to prevent the anemia of pregnancy. Dr. Wills demonstrated that the anemia could be corrected by a yeast extract. Folate was identified as the corrective substance in yeast extract in the late 1930s and was extracted from spinach leaves in 1941.

Reprinted with exclusive permission of Life Extension Foundation. October 2006

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