If you’re pregnant or thinking about it, you probably have a lot of questions. All parents want the best for their children, and that tends to mean lots and lots of research. Which doctor should I use? Do I want a full travel system or just a car seat to start out? Which car seat is the safest? And the list goes on…

Let us help clear up one question and save you from all the research. Folic acid or folate–are they the same? Is one more important than the other? Which one do I need?

The short answer is no, they aren’t the same, but they function very similarly in the body, and anyone who could become pregnant should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily AND enjoy a varied diet rich in folate.

Now for the nitty-gritty.

Folate is an umbrella term that refers to both the naturally-occurring forms of vitamin B-9, and the synthetic vitamin folic acid. The body uses B vitamins to create new cells, thus its extreme importance for pregnant women. Folate-rich foods should be incorporated into the diet regularly. Ingredients such as dark leafy greens, black-eyed peas, and beef liver are great options. However, let’s be real, most pregnant women aren’t craving beef liver or black-eyed peas. Plus, it’s a bit tricky to know exactly how much folate you ingest through food consumption alone.

Enter–folic acid. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate which is super easy to add to your daily regimen through the vitamin aisle at your local supermarket or pharmacy. You can also find folic acid in those “fortified” grain products around the store. Manufacturers use folic acid to fortify foods rather than folate because folic acid can withstand the cooking process better than folate. Your body also absorbs folic acid better: at least 85% of the folic acid in a vitamin or fortified food eaten with a meal, compared with only about half of the folate found naturally in food, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

One last tidbit: folic acid and folate are water-soluble, but that doesn’t mean more is always better. For adults, the upper limit for folic acid from supplements and fortified foods is 1,000 mcg a day, unless a doctor recommends more.

So the question really shouldn’t be one versus the other. The facts of the matter are that both folic acid and folate are extremely important for all women of child-bearing age, and both should be incorporated daily into your diet to receive the most benefits for you and your [future] unborn baby.

 

What about methylfolate and the MTHFR gene?

Some supplements contain a form of folate called methylfolate (5-MTHF), and you may have heard that people with an MTHFR gene variant should avoid folic acid. According to the CDC, that’s not true. People with common MTHFR variants can process all types of folate, including folic acid, and folic acid is the only type of folate shown to help prevent neural tube defects. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics advises against routine MTHFR testing, and says MTHFR status doesn’t change the recommendation to take the standard dose of folic acid.

Reading the label: what does “mcg DFE” mean?

Updated Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels list folate in micrograms of dietary folate equivalents (mcg DFE). This unit accounts for the fact that your body absorbs folic acid better than food folate. Because of that, a vitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid will show a larger number in mcg DFE, around 680 mcg DFE, sometimes with “400 mcg folic acid” in parentheses. Look for the words “folic acid” on the label to make sure your vitamin contains it.

Updated October 2026. This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your health care provider.

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