Reduced Folates

Reduced Folates are the active ingredients

Folates (also known as vitamin B9) are a large family of compounds (over 100 members) with a common basic chemical structure. However, different oxidation states and substitution as well as polyglutamylation (anchoring in the cell) lead to pronounced diversity in their characteristics.

Folates are responsible for transporting the small C1 building blocks in plants, animals and humans. These building blocks are required most notably in growth phases (pregnancy) but also later in all of the organs. Folates are converted as required in numerous enzymatic reactions and are extremely important for proper functioning of the organism.

The concentration of folate varies greatly in the individual organs. Three different receptors have been identified that transport the folates through the membranes (e.g. blood/brain barrier).

The delivery system is therefore quite sophisticated and can easily lead to a deficiency if disrupted. When deficiencies are not treated, they often cause chronic diseases or deformities during the growth phase (open spine, spina bifida)

The human organism is not able to synthesise folates and must therefore meet the need through diet or supplementation.

Foods with high folate content are e.g. green vegetables, eggs and milk. Animal liver has a particularly high folate content.

Dietary folates all exist in reduced form and are therefore very susceptible to oxidation.

A large portion is lost during storage and cooking. Dietary folates are substituted differently and sometimes polyglutamated, which makes conversion during digestion necessary.

The folic acid often used in supplements is the stable, oxidised form, of which only trace amounts are found in nature. Folic acid is produced industrially – completely synthetically – and must first be converted in the body to activated, reduced forms.