Folate: which form, what each one does, and the dose that worked
Folate comes in many forms, and what it does depends on the form. Every result below names the form it came from. Pick the form you take to see its own studies, products and what the biohackers say about it. This page is educational, not medical advice.
What it does, by goalMembersThe top 5 of 20 goals
| Goal | What the studies show | Studies | Dose that worked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 22 of 58 improved, 16 no effect · Methylfolate: 2 of 3 improved · 1 by drip, injection or inhaler | 61 | folic acid 400 mcg · methylfolate 15 mg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 15 of 26 improved, 4 no effect · Methylfolate: 5 of 6 improved, 1 no effect · Folinic acid: 2 of 2 improved | 34 | folic acid 400 mcg · methylfolate 15 mg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 18 of 49 improved, 19 no effect · Methylfolate: 1 of 1 improved | 50 | folic acid 400 mcg · methylfolate 15 mg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 15 of 47 improved, 10 no effect · Methylfolate: 1 of 3 improved, 1 no effect | 50 | folic acid 400 mcg · methylfolate 15 mg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 11 of 36 improved, 12 no effect · Folinic acid: 1 of 1 improved · Methylfolate: 3 studies, 1 no effect | 40 | folic acid 90 mcg | |
| Improved in studies Methylfolate: 6 of 15 improved, 1 no effect · Folic acid: 3 of 9 improved, 4 no effect · Folinic acid: 2 studies, 1 no effect | 26 | methylfolate 15 mg · folic acid 500 mcg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 4 of 12 improved, 3 no effect · Methylfolate: 1 of 3 improved | 15 | folic acid 800 mcg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 4 of 13 improved, 3 no effect | 13 | folic acid 5 mg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 3 of 32 improved, 8 no effect | 32 | – | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 3 of 5 improved, 1 no effect | 5 | folic acid 200 mcg | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 2 of 7 improved, 2 no effect | 7 | – | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 2 of 5 improved, 1 no effect | 5 | – | |
| Improved in studies Folic acid: 1 of 1 improved | 1 | folic acid 5 mg | |
| Too few studies Folic acid: 5 of 27 improved, 15 no effect · Methylfolate: 1 study, no effect | 28 | – | |
| Too few studies Folic acid: 2 of 8 improved, 1 no effect · Methylfolate: 1 study, no clear result | 9 | folic acid 2.5 mg | |
| Too few studies Folic acid: 5 studies, 2 no effect · Methylfolate: 1 study, no clear result | 6 | – | |
| Too few studies Folic acid: 2 studies, no clear result | 2 | – | |
| No effect in studies Folic acid: 2 of 15 improved, 9 no effect | 15 | folic acid 5 mg | |
| No effect in studies Folic acid: 1 of 28 improved, 12 no effect | 28 | – | |
| No effect in studies Folic acid: 3 studies, 2 no effect · Folinic acid: 2 studies, 1 no effect | 5 | – |
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Products – highest ranked firstMembersThe top 3 of 20
Dose and safetyThe dose that worked and the upper limit
The doses that worked, by form, in the studies taken by mouth: methylfolate 15 mg, folic acid 90 mcg to 100 mg, folinic acid 5 mg a day.
The upper limit for adults is 1,000 mcg of folate a day; above it, members see a note and are told they can take less.
Biohacker panelMembersWhich forms of folate our 10 biohackers name
Questions people askMembersAnswered from the figures on this page
Which form of folate is best?
Answer for members.
How much folate a day?
Answer for members.
Can I take folate with my meds?
Answer for members.
Members see the answers, checked against their own meds and goals. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Educational, not medical advice. Figures come from the human studies on PubMed we have graded; a study counts for a form when it names the form it used. Updated as new studies arrive. How we grade →