can you have too much folate?

[Hectorsmum2]

I have more than one supplement with folate in it and wanted to check it is safe to take large amounts.

[helvella Administrator]

Yes - you can have too much. But the answer is far more complicated - and subtle - than that.

How much are you taking? And what form(s)?

I suggest you spend a few minutes reading the link below (and it pretty much applies despite being a USA document).

In the UK, they can prescribe 5 milligrams of folic acid a day and sometimes do. There have been reports of people finding that too much.

Folate

Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/F...

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to helvella]

Thank you.

[radd]

Hectorsmum2,

It depends upon how large the folate excess is. A small excess will be simply pee’d out but a consistently larger amount could have implications on your methylation processes.

We need the right balance of the main methylation nutrients, otherwise some parts become overburdened resulting in many side effects and some quite damaging.

Folate has very specific jobs such as being involved with the methylation of homocysteine to methionine, which is a precursor of SAM (S-adenosylmethione) and primary methyl group donor for most biological methylations.

You also need folate levels to balance with that of Vit B12 as they tend to use the same pathways.

Edit- Forgot to add the bioavailability of methylated forms are greater than folic acid as work easier in the body and if un-required risks working too well (eg giving excess).

[Ellie-Louise]

Oddly enough this article was in an email yesterday.

webmd.com/vitamins-and-supp...