Vitamin B9 (folate): the key nutrient for pregnancy and energy
Vitamin B9 — also known as folate or folic acid depending on its form — is one of the few vitamins for which official supplementation guidance has been issued by health authorities, particularly for all women planning a pregnancy. Water-soluble by nature, it is not stored long-term by the body: a regular intake is essential to meet daily needs.
Its scope of action is broad and officially recognised at European level: vitamin B9 contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal blood formation, to normal psychological function, and to the normal functioning of the immune system.
What is vitamin B9 and what does it do?
Folates work at the heart of cellular machinery: they are essential for DNA synthesis and play a central role in the process of cell division. In practice, every time your body makes new cells — red blood cells, immune cells, growing tissues — vitamin B9 is called into action.
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Pregnancy and motherhood: it contributes to the growth of maternal tissues during pregnancy, a time when cell division accelerates considerably.
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Energy and vitality: by taking part in normal blood formation — and therefore in oxygen transport — it contributes to reducing tiredness and fatigue.
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Mental balance: it contributes to normal psychological function.
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Immunity: it supports the normal functioning of the immune system.
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Metabolism: it contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism and to normal amino acid synthesis.
Why supplement with vitamin B9?
Folates are found in leafy green vegetables, legumes, eggs and liver — but they are fragile molecules: a significant portion is destroyed by cooking, light and storage. The result is that even with a careful diet, reaching an optimal folate status is difficult, and the EFSA opinion on dietary reference values sets considerably higher requirements for pregnant women (600 µg of folate equivalents per day, compared with 330 µg for adults).
Three situations make supplementation particularly relevant:
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Planning a pregnancy and the first trimester, when needs increase sharply (see below).
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Temporary tiredness, as an insufficient folate status can translate into lower energy levels linked to less efficient blood formation.
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Diets low in folates: few green vegetables, prolonged cooking, periods of intense activity.
Vitamin B9 and pregnancy: why start before conception?
This is the defining use case for vitamin B9. The neural tube of the developing baby — the precursor to its brain and spinal cord — closes between day 21 and day 28 of pregnancy, often before the pregnancy is even known. This is why health authorities recommend starting supplementation from the moment a pregnancy is planned, at least one month before conception, and continuing throughout the first trimester.
The European-validated claim is precise: supplemental folate intake increases maternal folate status; a low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing foetus. The beneficial effect is obtained with a supplemental intake of 400 µg per day for at least one month before conception and up to three months after — exactly the dose in one capsule of our formula.
An active form, suitable for everyone
Not all forms of vitamin B9 are equal. Standard synthetic folic acid must go through several enzymatic conversion steps before becoming the active circulating form, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF). The key enzyme in this chain, MTHFR, exists in genetic variants that are less efficient: depending on the population, a significant proportion of individuals convert folic acid poorly, which can limit the body's actual use of the vitamin and leave unmetabolised folic acid circulating in the blood.
This 4th-generation vitamin B9 is delivered directly as 5-MTHF, the already-active form: it requires no conversion and is ready for the body to use regardless of genetic profile. Research has also evaluated 5-MTHF as an alternative to folic acid, with the advantage of not generating unmetabolised folic acid in the blood.
Why choose our vitamin B9?
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Form: 5-MTHF Quatrefolic®
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Physiological dose of 400 µg per capsule: the reference dose recommended for pre-conception use, with no unnecessary excess.
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Just one capsule a day: easy to stick to — essential for a vitamin the body does not store.
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Clean formula: vegetable capsule (pullulan), free from titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, and controversial additives.
How to recognise an insufficient folate intake?
A low vitamin B9 status builds up quietly. The most common signs are non-specific: persistent tiredness, unusual breathlessness during effort, pallor, irritability or difficulty concentrating. These signs can be explained by the role folates play in red blood cell formation: a prolonged shortfall can affect how well oxygen reaches the body's tissues. If these signs persist, speak to your doctor — a blood folate test can give a clear picture of the situation.
Worth noting: vitamin B9 works in close partnership with vitamin B12, both contributing to normal blood formation. If fatigue is ongoing, checking the status of both is a sensible step.
How to take vitamin B9?
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Dosage: 1 capsule per day with a glass of water, preferably in the morning.
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Planning a pregnancy: start at least 1 month before conception and continue for at least the entire first trimester, in consultation with your healthcare professional.
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Temporary tiredness: a 3-month course, renewable as needed.
Scientific references
- EFSA NDA Panel (2014). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for folate. EFSA Journal, 12(11):3893. View the opinion
- EFSA NDA Panel (2013). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to increasing maternal folate status by supplemental folate intake and reduced risk of neural tube defects. EFSA Journal, 11(7):3328. View the opinion
- Scaglione F, Panzavolta G (2014). Folate, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are not the same thing. Xenobiotica, 44(5), 480-488. View the study
- Obeid R, Holzgreve W, Pietrzik K (2013). Is 5-methyltetrahydrofolate an alternative to folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects? Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 41(5), 469-483. View the study
