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Active folate · L-5-MTHF

Extrafolate-S®

Folate in its active, body-ready form.

Brand / technology by Gnosis by Lesaffre

Extrafolate-S® is the folate ingredient in B-Complex. It supplies vitamin B9 as calcium L-methylfolate, also known as 5-MTHF, in our complete eight-B-vitamin formula.

Why this matters

A named 5-MTHF folate source in one daily B-Complex capsule.

Make the form identifiable

Folate supplements can contain different forms of vitamin B9. Extrafolate-S® is calcium L-methylfolate, also called 5-MTHF. We name it explicitly so the ingredient can be checked against its specification and scientific assessment.

A documented folate ingredient

EFSA has assessed calcium L-methylfolate as a source of folate. We selected this specified form for the vitamin B9 in B-Complex, with its identity and amount clearly listed.

Folate with all eight B vitamins

B-Complex supplies 500 µg folate per daily capsule, alongside the other seven B vitamins. The combined formula brings the full B-vitamin range together in a convenient vegan serving.

Explore the evidence and details

Why the active form

Folic acid and (6S)-5-MTHF are different supplemental forms of folate. Extrafolate-S® supplies the reduced, methylated form as a calcium salt; (6S)-5-MTHF is the predominant folate form found in circulation.

Recognised as a folate source

The EFSA Panel on Nutrition (NDA) has assessed calcium-L-methylfolate and (6S)-5-MTHF for conversion into dietary folate equivalents — i.e. it is recognised as a dietary source of folate.

Published research

Folate forms have a substantial peer-reviewed and regulatory literature. Representative sources:

  • Cochrane et al. (2020)

    Pilot randomised-controlled-trial protocol comparing (6S)-5-MTHF with folic acid for raising serum and red-blood-cell folate in pregnancy.

    TrialsPubMed/MEDLINE

    PubMed ↗

  • Samaniego-Vaesken et al. (2024)

    Evidence-based narrative review of folic acid versus 5-methyltetrahydrofolate supplementation.

    NutrientsPubMed/MEDLINE · Review

    PubMed ↗

  • EFSA NDA Panel (2022)

    Scientific opinion on the conversion of calcium-L-methylfolate and (6S)-5-MTHF into dietary folate equivalents.

    EFSA JournalEFSA scientific opinion

    Source ↗

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