Folocal vs Folopro from the expert

[Guest guest]

I asked my friend the expert (Dr. Jim Neubrander) this question someone posted

on the board:

Jaquelyn,

Folacal: FOLinic acid plus CALcium à hence folacal.

Folapro: 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid. [5MTHF]

The confusion comes with understanding how methyl-B12 enters the

methionine/homocysteine pathway and when to use what. Classically 5,10

methyleneTHF, in the presence of the enzyme MTHFR, “reduces” 5,10 methyleneTHF

allowing its CH2 group to now become a CH3 group – “methyl”. This CH3 group is

added to the 5th position on the carbon chain, hence the new name “5” “methyl”

tetrahydrofolic acid. This methyl group then is transferred from 5MTHF to

“rabbit/ordinary/food” B12 to become methyl-B12. It is here that MB12 enters

the methionine cycle when paired with methionine synthase. Once the methyl

group is transferred off of the 5MTHF molecule, all you are left with is THF

that once again “spins” and repeats the folic acid cycle to generate MB12.

Folinic acid, on the other hand, can enter the folic acid cycle many different

places. The reason it is so important is because it bypasses the pathway named

above and therefore can be used by the body to make purines that are required

for the brain and body for many other “non-folic acid pathway” functions.

Therefore, when clinicians and parents do not understand how this works, they

hear “this is better – no that is better”. They also hear “this is one step

closer than that is”, etc. 5-MTHF (Folapro) is definitely “one step closer” to

transferring its methyl group to plain B12 to form MB12 and leave THF.

Therefore in a child not receiving MB12 directly, the body is dependent on this

classic pathway to make enough 5-MTHF as a preparatory step to then pass this

methyl group onward to make MB12. However, this is where there can be a “methyl

trap” because if you are giving MB12, you have already bypassed the reason to

make 5MTHF and the 5-MTHF just sits there because we have enough MB12. Folinic

acid, however, is the one that will not be trapped and will also be able to make

purines and if one uses “folic acid pathway entities”, folinic acid is the

better option in a person on MB12. If a child is not on MB12, then 5-MTHF is a

good option because it bypasses and MTHFR

enzyme defects. However, it requires a normal biochemical set of reactions to

occur which does not happen in our children. In my practice, if I were only to

treat the children with an MTHFR defect, then approximately 40-50% of “MB12

responders would never get the benefits they get by adding MB12.

I will include a few slides for you to look at that illustrate this pathway.

The text is in the notes view should you want to read what the slides say.

However, because the slides are “builds”, I would first have you view the slides

in the “slide show” mode so that later, when you read the text, it will make

more sense. [Remember that the “other way” to make MB12 is from glutathione and

SAM combining with OH-B12 or CN-B12 but not relative to this discussion]

Jim