Benefits of active folate 5-MTHF detailed in Gnosis by Lesaffre book

10 Jun 2020 --- A new book from Gnosis by Lesaffre called The Innovative Folate: 5-MTHF on Human Health describes the benefits of supplementation with 5-MTHF. This naturally occurring folate is an essential nutrient for a healthy pregnancy and overall health. The book dedicates an entire chapter that details the distinguishing factors of Gnosis by Lesaffre’s branded glucosamine salt Quatrefolic, detailing why “this folate is the right choice in human health.”

“5-MTHF is proving to be able to [respond to] the shifts in consumer behaviors and drive new application trends. It also offers the highest efficacy, safety and versatility. The book provides an easy-to-understand tool to recognize the different forms and their chemical interconnections, discover the crucial metabolic role of 5-MTHF in the one carbon metabolism and explain the interconnection of folate with vitamin B12,” Silvia Pisoni, Senior Marketing Manager at Gnosis by Lesaffre, tells NutritionInsight.

The book is targets nutraceutical and nutritional industry professionals as well as nutrition students. It also addresses industry’s frequent interchangeable use of the terms “active folate” and “folic acid,” which Pisoni flags as not taking into consideration the role of genetic defects that can be involved in disease processes. The book can namely help professionals learn more about the genetic defects of enzymes involved in the folate metabolism and their implications in human health, Pisoni explains.

The book delves into the benefits of active folic for women's health. NutritionInsight previously spoke with Gnosis by Lesaffre about how the scientific community has been hypothesizing whether the use of active folate is better than folic acid in terms of efficacy and safety.

Pisoni highlights the book’s most important findings as:

• The evidence of folate activity in preventing the decline of cognitive function in the elderly and reducing the risk of stroke.
• The role of homocysteine, connected with the deficiency of the enzyme MTHFR which relates to several health implications, including hyperhomocysteinemia and homocystinuria.
• The effects of high homocysteine levels on chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in the deterioration of renal function, and also in curbing the cardiovascular effects of CKD.
• The forefront research on the potential role of high homocysteine and polymorphism to increase the risk of cancer.

Quatrefolic: A fourth-generation solution 
The book is the result of a collaboration between Gnosis by Lesaffre and two authors, who worked independently to provide the science backing the folate. The authors, Professor Diego Ingrosso and Professor Alessandra Perna, both work at the University School of Medicine and Surgery Luigi Vanvitelli in Naples, Italy. 

Meanwhile, Gnosis by Lesaffre’s contribution takes the form of a chapter delineating the link between Quatrefolic and the main concepts and health benefits of 5-MTHF. It includes the main characteristics of Quatrefolic, its development and stability. The Quartefolic chapter is printed on a light green background to differentiate its findings from the academics’ content.

“This ingredient has important advantages compared to synthetic folic acid. Firstly, it is well absorbed even when gastrointestinal pH changes. Secondly, it is bioavailable and is not affected by metabolic defects,” Pisoni details.

Quartefolic addresses a range of health needs, including pregnancy. “All women of childbearing potential, not just those who are attempting to conceive, should receive a folate supplement because many unplanned pregnancies may occur. The neural tube closes very early in gestation, sometimes even before pregnancy is [confirmed].” 

Nutrition professionals can access the book online to learn more on the benefits of Quartrefolic. The book also highlights how folate fortification and supplementation is related to prevention of other congenital defects in some studies. “However, a debate has been raised about the occurrence of potential deleterious effects of mandatory fortification, connected with the risks of excess intake of synthetic folic acid – the form used for fortification of flour and cereals – particularly when further accompanied by supplementation from other sources,” Pisoni flags.

The company underscores that Quatrefolic is structurally analogous to the reduced and active form of folic acid. It represents the fourth generation folate from Gnosis by Lesaffre, which provides greater stability, higher water solubility and multiple ingredients formulation flexibility, compared to 5-MTHF calcium salt guaranteeing an improved bioavailability.

5-MTHF plays a critical role in both maternal and fetal folate-mediated processes during pregnancy. It feeds into the S-adenosylmethionine cycle that supplies methyl donors for DNA methylation, thereby affecting genetic expression. “5-MTHF, like Quatrefolic, has been proposed as an effective and safe alternative to folic acid,” Pisoni adds.

Digital distribution
Due to lockdown restrictions throughout the globe alongside trade show postponements and cancellations, Gnosis by Lesaffre did not physically present the book at any specific event. Instead, the company is capitalizing on the book’s digital distribution “in all countries, remaining extremely closed to our network of customers, distributors and partners,” Pisoni maintains.

Considering the company’s international presence, Gnosis by Lesaffre used the COVID-19 situation as an opportunity to digitally distribute the book in electronic form.

By Anni Schleicher, with additional reporting by Katherine Durrell