{"id":267317,"date":"2025-07-16T19:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T19:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/267317\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T19:02:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T19:02:10","slug":"are-methylated-vitamins-easier-for-your-body-to-absorb-and-should-you-start-taking-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/267317\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Methylated Vitamins Easier for Your Body to Absorb\u2014And Should You Start Taking Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nearly 60% of Americans take dietary supplements\u2014but increasingly, popular health influencers say people may not be seeing benefits unless they take easier-to-absorb \u201cmethylated vitamins.\u201d<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

Gary Brecka<\/a>, Andrew Huberman<\/a>, and other health podcasters are now advertising methylated vitamins as a way to ensure your body will actually be able to use the compounds in the various supplements you\u2019re taking.\n<\/p>\n

But are these marketing claims true? Or are methylated vitamins only, as some experts say, making \u201cvery expensive urine\u201d?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about how methylated vitamins work in the body, and whether you should actually give them a try.\n<\/p>\n

Vitamins that are \u201cmethylated\u201d have a slight molecular addition to their chemical backbone\u2014they include a methyl group, comprised of one carbon and three hydrogen molecules (CH3).\n<\/p>\n

Two of the most popular methylated vitamins<\/strong> are both B vitamins: folate and B12<\/strong>.\n<\/p>\n

Health influencers and supplement companies say this extra methyl molecule makes these vitamins more \u201cbioavailable,\u201d<\/strong> meaning it\u2019s easier for the body to absorb and use as intended.\n<\/p>\n

However, despite the claims, there\u2019s little evidence<\/strong> that methylated vitamins are actually better for you than standard vitamins.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no recommendation from any authoritative health body<\/strong> to supplement with methylated versions of these vitamins for the general public\u2014or even for specific disease states,\u201d Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD<\/a>, an assistant research scientist in the Department of Nutrition Sciences and Toxicology at UC Berkley, told Health.\n<\/p>\n

But how do methylated and unmethylated versions of both vitamins\u2014folate and B12\u2014compare to one another, and what\u2019s actually going on in the body?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

Folate vs. Methylfolate <\/p>\n

Folate (vitamin B9)<\/strong> is naturally found in green vegetables, nuts, fruits, and other foods<\/a>. Many cereals are also fortified with the supplement form of folate, called folic acid<\/a>.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

This vitamin is essential during pregnancy. <\/strong>However, folate has been tied to other potential health benefits<\/strong> too, including protecting against early cancer development and keeping the brain healthy.\n<\/p>\n

Folate deficiency is very uncommon in the U.S., but guidelines recommend that people capable of becoming pregnant should get 400 micrograms of folate daily through diet<\/a> or supplements.\n<\/p>\n

For the body to use this vitamin, it must be converted into its active form,<\/strong> which is termed 5-MTHF <\/strong>(5-methyltetrahydrofolate or methylfolate).\n<\/p>\n

The gut does this naturally<\/strong> when people eat foods with folates in them or take folic acid supplements. But you can also take 5-MTHF, or methylated folate, supplements,<\/strong> so the vitamin is already in its active form to begin with.\n<\/p>\n

However, research conducted in 2004 and 2010 found that 5-MTHF is not better absorbed or more bioavailable <\/strong>than folic acid.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for the best folate absorption possible, what matters most isn\u2019t which form you take, but when you take it. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\u201dTake it on an empty stomach,<\/strong> because when folic acid [or 5-MTHF] is taken with food, you absorb [only] 85%,\u201d Vanessa\u00a0King, MS, RDN<\/a>, clinical nutrition manager for Queen\u2019s Health System in Hawaii and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Health.<\/p>\n

B12 vs. Methylated B12 <\/p>\n

Vitamin B12<\/a> <\/strong>is found in animal products such as beef, eggs, and fish. Adults need about 2.4 micrograms of this vitamin daily to keep blood and nerve cells healthy.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

In its supplement form, companies manufacture vitamin B12 with another chemical group attached. Common forms include:\n<\/p>\n