Active folate, L-5-MTHFExtrafolate-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.
- The folate in B-Complex
Folate is vitamin B9, one of the eight B vitamins in B-Complex. We use the named Extrafolate-S® form and clearly state its amount.
- Make the form identifiable
Folate supplements can contain different forms of vitamin B9. Extrafolate-S® is calcium L-methylfolate, also called 5-MTHF. This lets you see which form of folate the supplement contains and find the research on that form.
- Folate assessed by EFSA
EFSA has assessed calcium L-methylfolate as a source of folate. B-Complex uses this form of vitamin B9, with its 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.
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:
- PubMed
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
- Source
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
