What is Folate?
Vitamin B9, commonly known as folate, is a water-soluble B-vitamin essential for DNA synthesis, cell division, and red blood cell formation (1). It’s the vitamin your body leans on when it needs to make new cells or repair the old ones, so basically, all the time if you're hiking, recovering, or just going about your day.
The form included in Optiventure is L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the most bioactive, ready-to-use version of folate, with no additional conversion needed by the body.
Why Do Outdoor Adventurers Need Folate?
Adventure = micro damage. Whether it’s sore quads after a summit slog or your immune system dealing with trail grime, your body is constantly regenerating, and folate is a key player for recovery.
Here’s why it matters out there:
- Supports muscle tissue repair (7)
- Aids in red blood cell production and optimal blood flow, critical for oxygen transport during endurance activities (5)
- Vital for DNA and RNA repair, especially important with high UV exposure on exposed trails (4)
- Works with B12 and B6 to regulate homocysteine levels, which supports heart and circulatory health (4)
Dietary Sources of Folate
Folate is found in a range of plant-based foods, but it’s sensitive to heat and storage, meaning your dehydrated meals and trail snacks might not have much left. The bioavailability of folate in foods is typically only about 50-60% anyway, whereas when it’s taken as a supplement, you absorb 85-100% of it, especially on an empty stomach (1,2).
Top sources include:
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale, rocket)
- Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans)
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Beetroot
- Citrus fruits
- Fortified cereals and nutritional yeast (4)
If your trail diet is short on fresh produce and you’re out there for an extended multi, you could be running a folate deficit without knowing it.
What’s the Best Form of Folate for Hikers?
L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) is the gold standard (8). It’s the active form your body uses right away, with no conversion needed.
Unlike folic acid, 5-MTHF:
- Works even with MTHFR gene variations (1,3)
- Absorbs well, even with gut or pH issues (3)
- Avoids folic acid buildup in the bloodstream (1, 3)
- Won’t mask B12 deficiency (3)
- Reduces drug interaction risks (3)
That’s why Optiventure uses 5-MTHF. It’s simple, safe, and effective.
Key Information About Folate
|
Solubility |
Water soluble (4) |
|
Type |
Essential (1) |
|
Optimal Intake |
RDI (Aus) & RDA (US): 400mcg/day for adults, upper limit of 1000mcg/day (1,4) |
|
Best Dietary Sources |
Leafy greens, legumes, citrus, white rice, beetroot, fortified grains (4) |
|
Best Form for Hikers |
L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) |
|
Time of Day |
No time is more ideal than any other |
|
Dietary Considerations |
Vegan and vegetarian diets often contain folate, but cooking losses are high; some individuals have MTHFR variants or inflammatory health conditions that can impair folic acid conversion or absorption (4) |
Why Optiventure Has 0.50mg of Folate (L-5-MTHF)
We’ve included 500mcg (or 0.50mg) of L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate in Optiventure’s Day Formula to:
- Exceed the baseline NRV and support increased needs during physical stress
- Help support energy metabolism, especially when paired with B12 and iron (6)
- Assist with oxygen transport and red blood cell production, keeping your endurance dialled in (6)
- Provide a bioavailable, MTHFR-friendly form that works for all adventurers (3)
- Aid in tissue repair and DNA synthesis when your body’s clocking overtime outdoors
References
- National Health and Medical Research Council. (n.d.). Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand: Folate.https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/folate
- Pfeiffer, C. M., Rogers, L. M., Bailey, L. B., & Gregory, J. F. (1997). Absorption of folate from fortified cereal-grain products and of supplemental folate consumed with or without food determined by using a dual-label stable-isotope protocol. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 66(6), 1388–1397. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/66.6.1388
- Scaglione, F., & Panzavolta, G. (2014). Folate, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are not the same thing. Xenobiotica, 44(5), 480–488.https://doi.org/10.3109/00498254.2013.845705
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Folate: Fact sheet for health professionals.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
- Romero, S. A., Gagnon, D., Adams, A. N., Moralez, G., Kouda, K., Jaffery, M. F., Cramer, M. N., & Crandall, C. G. (2017). Folic acid ingestion improves skeletal muscle blood flow during graded handgrip and plantar flexion exercise in aged humans. American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 313(3), H658–H666.https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00234.2017
- Bottiglieri, T. (2020). Folate, vitamin B12, and S-adenosylmethionine. Nutrients, 12(1), 228.https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010228
- Ledowsky, H., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., & Li, J. (2023). Folic acid promotes myoblast migration through Folr1-mediated activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. The Cell Surface, 9, 100085.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcsw.2023.100085
- Fernandes, S., Oliveira, L., Pereira, A., Costa, M. D. C., Raposo, A., Saraiva, A., & Magalhães, B. (2024). Exploring vitamin B12 supplementation in the vegan population: A scoping review of the evidence. Nutrients, 16(10), 1442.https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101442