Do you know if MTHF can enter the cells from the blood stream and even the mitochondria inside the cells? I have read that most bacteria need to synthesize folic acid, active folic acid etc. inside their own because it cannot pass their cell membranes, so that it can get into it from outside. I'm afraid this might be true for human cells, too?
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Do MTHF-supps penetrate into cells and mitochondria?
- Thread starter Markus83
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PeterPositive
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Well, yes the folate cycle occurs in the cell so folate must get into the cell for that to occur.
Several years ago I did a methylation panel and it came back with the amount of folate in red blood cells, which is more significant than serum folate. In fact serum folate was ok-ish, while RBC folate was not too great.
Several years ago I did a methylation panel and it came back with the amount of folate in red blood cells, which is more significant than serum folate. In fact serum folate was ok-ish, while RBC folate was not too great.
We cannot make folate - that's why it is described as a vitamin. We need to obtain it from diet, plus we may assimilate some of the folate synthesised by our gut bacteria.
The major form of folate in vegetables is methylTHF; folinic is present in some vegetables in reasonable amounts, especially Asian greens and there are various other folate forms in minor amounts.
The major form of folate circulating in the blood is methylTHF.
There are several different folate transporters and receptors which are responsible for uptake of folate from the gut and into the various cells in the body. Once inside the cell, another specific carrier takes folate across the inner mitochondrial membrane.
Thanks. To be honest, I have problems with the nomenclature (folate, folic acid, folinic acid, etc.). My concern was, if I can take 5-MTHF as supplement orally and if it makes it into the cells in this form. Or if you need a precursor so that the body can make 5-MTHF on it's own in the cells. How I unterstand you, it is just fine to take 5-MTHF orally and it will make it into the cells.
Yes - it is the dominant, natural circulating form of folate - the body is set up to use it.
Folinic is a storage form of folate. It feeds in to the folate cycle and is eventually converted to whatever form the body needs.
Folic acid is completely synthetic - it is not found in nature. It is structurally similar to natural folates so we can process it, but everyone does this very slowly. Some people do this extremely slowly so folic acid can accumulate. It then acts as an inhibitor of several enzymes in the folate cycle, so for some people at least, folic acid supplementation can cause problems.
A number of people on PR report sensitivity to folate supplements - some to methylTHF, some with folinic. It would be wise to start with a low dose to gauge your own response.
For me this is all new and I really don't understand very much about it yet. I thought that the Vitamin B9 in foods need to be converted to MTHF by the body. According to what you've written, I was wrong about that. But then I don't understand why I should supplement 5-MTHF (I'm MTHFR homozygous) if I get this form already by eating vegetables.
PeterPositive
Senior Member
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Yes, not all folate found in foods (mostly leafy green veggies) is in the active form (5-MTHF) and it must be converted by specific enzymes.
This should help:
https://mindwhale.com/food-sources-of-l-methylfolate/
A healthy person who eats plenty of vegetables wouldn't need to supplement folate. Studies have shown that for people who are +/+ for the common MTHFR SNP C677T, the resultant slowing of the enzyme can't keep up, for example, with the extra demands of pregnancy, so supplementation is necessary. Small amounts of supplementary folate may be a wise precaution in other circumstances as well.
People who post on this board are not healthy and many find that B12/folate supplements are helpful. Some may have folate affecting SNP's but this is not the primary reason. It seems that widespread metabolic derangements, often involving folate, are widespread in this condition. This may be the reason that the supplements are helpful to many of us.
Whether such supplements would help you is something you have to work out for yourself.
Remember that folate and B12 work together - it is probably wise to supplement them together, though again that is something you need to work out from your own responses.
HI @alicec -- I thought it was the other way around, that folinic was the main dietary source and then had to be converted to methylfolate. Do you have a reference for more info? Thanks in advance!