• Supports effective methylation processes in body
• Reduces risk of neural tube defects in foetuses
• Source of folate in highly assimilable form
• Reduces damage caused by DNA oxidation
• Participates in homocysteine metabolism
• Enhances blood flow
• Exerts neuroprotective effect
• Antidepressant properties

Seeking Health L-5-MTHF is a dietary supplement providing the organism with 1000 mcg of pure L-methylfolate – a source of vitamin B9 in the form of an active coenzyme.

The fantastic assimilability of the form stems from the fact that, unlike other forms, it does not require any additional metabolic processes for the organism to utilise it practically entirely. It is particularly important in the case of people with high demand for folates, including pregnant women or people suffering from a mutation of the enzyme MTHFR, which is essential in the reduction of a substrate of folic acid metabolism in the organism (5,10-CH2-THF) to L-methylfolate, whose metabolic activity in that case can drop by even 70%.

The most important role of 5-MTHF in the organism is the participation in methylation processes. It is a methyl group donor in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine (as a by-product, SAMe is created – S-adenosyl methionine, which is the main methyl group donor in systemic processes).

Research has demonstrated versatile positive effects of folates on the nervous system. Their neuroprotective properties have been discovered regarding mainly lead and dexamethasone poisonings as well as high homocysteine levels. However, the most interesting fact is the relationship between those compounds and depressive disorders. Tests clearly show that reduced blood folate levels increase the risk of developing depression. A study managed to foresee a depressive episode directly on the basis of reduced folate levels in the blood serum which occurred before the episode. It was also demonstrated that the time needed for fluoxetine, an antidepressant, to start working is longer in the above-described systemic conditions. Further research on that subject demonstrated a positive synergic effect of folates (in the dosage of 500 mcg) with antidepressant drugs of the groups SSRI and TCA, as well as a reduction of resistance to those drug groups. The effect was much more prominent among groups with naturally low folate levels and even more obvious in the case of women.

Another function of folates is their antioxidant ability regarding the DNA thanks to the fact that it has a 4-hydroxypyrimidine element. Their proper levels in the circulation prevent excessive homocysteine levels, which can damage the DNA by oxidising it. The effect was documented in a test on the basis of the marker 8-OHdG, whose amount decreased in the case of interventional folate supplementation in the doses of 400-800 mcg.

A well-known benefit of folate supplementation is their ability to reduce the risk of neurological complications in pregnancy. The right dosage of folates (according to research, 800 mcg) reduces the risk of neural tube defects to 0.

It is also worth mentioning what effects they have on the circulatory system. Folate supplementation improves the levels of BH4 and nitric oxide while reducing homocysteine levels. All those changes are crucial for improving the permeability of blood vessels.

To sum up, Seeking Health L-5-MTHF is an excellent choice if your goal is interventional or long-lasting folate supplementation. The form of L-methylfolate is the best one available in the case of those compounds because of the lack of the need to metabolise it further in the organism (for comparison, regular folic acid has to undergo four subsequent reactions in order to turn into L-methylfolate, and with each reaction, part of the substance is lost). Folates themselves have a great deal to offer, especially in terms of maintaining the right condition of the nervous system, eliminating free radicals, and the safety for pregnant women.