B12 Folate is a combination of two water-soluble B vitamins, folate and vitamin B12. Folate and vitamin B12 are interrelated in function. They are vital to the metabolism of nutrients and are both required by the enzyme that produces methionine. They are also critical for maintaining red blood cell homeostasis, as they help form red blood cells. At the molecular level, the main function of folate is to donate methyl groups in key biochemical reactions.
Adequate folate status is particularly critical for proper neural and cellular development of the fetal central nervous system. Folate promotes healthy cellular differentiation during the formation of the brain and spinal cord, helping to reduce the risk of neural tube defects when taken daily prior to becoming pregnant and during early pregnancy. Folate is provided in this formula as Metafolin®, the universally metabolized form of folate. Metafolin® is chemically identical to the active folate metabolite, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5-MTHF). L-5-MTHF is the predominant, naturally occurring form of folate in food.
Through bypassing several enzymatic activation steps, it is directly usable by the body and provides all of the benefits of folic acid regardless of functional or genetic variations. The B12 in this formula is provided as methylcobalamin, the most bioavailable form of this vitamin.