What is Folic Acid?
[pronounced: foe-LIK | fÅ-lik]
Folic acid is a specific form of the B vitamin folate. Seasoned readers of Formula Sense will not be surprised to learn that folate is a generic term for a group of compounds that all have similar properties. Folic acid is the form found in many dietary supplements and fortified foods. It is commonly called folate.
Why Is Folic Acid in Infant Formula?
Folate is needed to make genetic material, including both DNA and RNA, the molecule that carries the instructions from DNA to the parts of the cells that make proteins. Cells that do not have enough folate will not divide properly, which is why low folate intake during pregnancy is linked to the development of spina bifida, a common birth defect. Low folate intake can also lead to a specific form of anemia called megaloblastic anemia.
Folate is measured in both micrograms and dietary folate equivalents (DFE) because natural and synthetic forms of folate are absorbed at different rates. Indeed, folic acid is one of the few instances where a synthetic vitamin form is better absorbed than the natural form found in foods: 240 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid is the same as 400 mcg of folate. Both are equal to mcg 400 of DFE.
Folate is not alone in use of equivalents as a unit of measure. Vitamins A and D also use similar units of measure.
Regulations and Safety
While folic acid is a widely used, safe form of folate, it is not the form found in breast milk. It is, however, the only form allowed for use in infant formula. In 2019, a group of European researchers tested the suitability of the primary form of folate found in breastmilk, l-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and found it to be safe.
The US FDA requires 4 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid in every 100 calories of prepared formula. The European Commission requires between 10 and 50 mcg in every 100 calories of prepared formula.
Dietary Considerations
Folic acid has no dietary restrictions and is appropriate for vegans, vegetarians, and all religious groups.