Folinic-Plus does not require a prescription but is intended for recommendation by healthcare professionals. Healthcare providers interested in receiving free samples of Folinic-Plus should complete the Sample Request Form below.
Folinic-Plus Reviews
- Kingsport, TN
As a Family Nurse Practitioner, I’ve incorporated Folinic Plus Vitamin into treatment plans for patients who may benefit from active folate and B-vitamin support. I appreciate that it provides bioavailable forms of these nutrients, making it an excellent option for patients with increased nutritional needs or those who may not metabolize standard folic acid efficiently. The product has been well tolerated, and I’ve been pleased with patient feedback regarding energy, overall well-being, and ease of use. It’s a high-quality supplement that I feel confident recommending as part of a comprehensive wellness plan when clinically appropriate.
- West Virginia
My wife is autoimmune with celiacs. Her B vitamin levels were so low she was in a wheelchair and practically disabled. After many doctor appointments a Johns Hopkins neurologist finally diagnosed the problem. Initially injections were started but eventually he recommended Folinic-Plus and stated he felt it was the best B vitamin in the market. I think he was correct as she actually absorbed them and all B vitamin areas skyrocketed on her bloodwork. So high and rapidly she was able to lessen the dosages. In my mind this is an exceptional product.
If the Sample Form does not appear on your screen, please try using another web browser. Thank you!
DOSING FREQUENCY AND BODY STORES
Once-daily dosing of Folinic-Plus® is generally adequate. Patients should consult with their healthcare professional before using Folinic-Plus® and any non-prescription supplement.
There is a difference between serum half-life (how fast levels in the blood decrease back to baseline) after an oral or IV dose of medication and tissue levels that determine the body’s ability to store and use many substances.
-
Folates are more complicated because of binding proteins, active transport and varying rates of catabolism. In humans, turnover varies in different tissues. Body stores in normal adults are estimated at 5-10 mg (mostly in the liver) with estimated daily utilization of 0.2-0.6 mg/day. Therefore, the average available store is >2 weeks.
-
The human body can store a few years’ worth of B12, mostly in the liver.
MISUNDERSTANDING REGARDING L-METHYLFOLATE AS A SOLE SOURCE FOR FOLATE SUPPLEMENTATION
Much is made of the superiority or necessity of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in folate supplementation, especially in persons with genetic mutations of the MTHFR (methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase) gene.
However:
- Use of 5-MTHF is not necessary for adequate folate supplementation on the basis of MTHFR gene mutation. It has been well demonstrated that persons with adequate folate intake have no problems producing 5-MTHF, even when homozygous for the C677T mutation of the MTHFR gene. 1)
- Due to reduced folate receptor preference for the l isomer during gastrointestinal uptake of folates, the use of the l isomer for oral folate supplementation offers no practical advantage. 2)
- Importantly, 5-MTHF facilitates only the methionine synthase mediated homocysteine to methionine cycle. And the action of the MTHFR gene is a one-way process. To participate in the single carbon and thymidine synthetase cycles 5-MTHF must pass thru the methionine synthase cycle and be converted to tetrahydrofolate. 3)
- 5-MTHF is not the predominate folate in the human body. Much is made of 5-MTHF levels in plasma and erythrocytes. Red cell folate stores accumulate during erythropoiesis and reflect long term folate intake but not availability. The predominate intracellular stores of folate are as polyglutamates of tetrahydrofolate (THF). Folate concentrations in the liver approach 1000 times those in plasma. 5-MTHF is a poor substrate for folylpolyglutamate synthetase. “…Its retention by cells requires its metabolism via the methionine synthase reaction to THF, the most effective substrate for folylpolyglutamate synthetase.” 4)
- It is known that that tissue folate binding proteins are predominately enzymes of one-carbon metabolism, which are not directly supported by 5-MTHF. 4)
- Uncertain safety - while the saturation of reduced folate binding and transport proteins is not thought to occur at physiologic levels, the question of effects from long-term supra-physiologic doses of 5-MTHF have not been well addressed.
References
- Conversion of 5-Formyltetrahydrofolic Acid to 5-Methyltetrahydrofolic Acid Is Unimpaired in Folate-Adequate Persons Homozygous for the C677T Mutation in the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene
Lori Lathrop Stern, Pamela J. Bagley, Irwin H. Rosenberg, and Jacob Selhub J. Nutr. 2000 130: 2238-2242
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/130/9/2238.full - Clin Pharm. 1993 Apr;12(4):293-9. Bioequivalence of oral and injectable levoleucovorin and leucovorin. DeVito JM1, Kozloski GD, Tonelli AP, Johnson JB.
- Folate in Health and Disease Chapter 3 Folate Biochemical Pathways and Their Regulation Patrick J Stover 2010 Taylor and Francis Group
- Folate in Health and Disease Chapter 1 Folate Folate Chemistry and Metabolism Berry Shane 2010 Taylor and Francis Group
- Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar;87(3):517-33. Is folic acid good for everyone? Smith AD1, Kim YI, Refsum H.
- Dose-dependent effects of folic acid on blood concentrations of homocysteine: a meta-analysis of the randomized trials Am J Clin Nutr 2005 82: 806-812
Concerns have been raised about the uncertain risks of folate supplementation even at more conventional doses. 5) It is suggested that the introduction into the general population of very high dose folates and more specifically a form of folate that does not directly facilitate more generalized metabolic needs should await:
- Comparative dosing studies for desired end points. (The maximal effect of oral folic acid on the lowering of homocysteine levels occurs at approximately 1mg / day.) 6)
- Comparative studies with better studied (and less expensive) alternative folates.
- Assessment of both the safety of long-term use of very high dose folates and in particular of the long-term use of 5-MTHF.
The Merk KGaA communication to the FDA in 2001 did not address high dosage or use for specific medical indications.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/95s0316/rpt0095_01.pdf
Abbreviations
B2; riboflavin, B6, pyridoxal phosphate, B12; cobalamin ,DHF; dihydrofolate, DHFR; dihydrofolate reductase, DMG; dimethylglycine, dTMP; deoxythymidine 5’-phosphate, dUMP; 2’-deoxyuridin-5’-phosphate, MS; methionine synthase, 5-MTHF; 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, MTHFR; methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, SAM; S-adenosylmethionine, SAH; S-adenosylhomocysteine, SHMT; serine hydroxymethyltransferase, THF; tetrahydrofolate, TS; thymidylate synthetase, UMFA, unmetabolized folic acid.