What makes the 5-MTHF in Eagle Tresos Natal different from ordinary folic acid?

Eagle Tresos Natal is a one-a-day multivitamin and mineral formula from Eagle Natural Health, designed to provide an extensive nutritional foundation during preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Its folate comes from two forms rather than folic acid: levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF) at 270.7 mcg, equivalent to 250 mcg of levomefolic acid, and folinic acid as calcium folinate at 250 mcg. We stock this formula at SuperPharmacyPlus, and below we set out what distinguishes each of them.

The active folate in Eagle Tresos Natal comes from levomefolate calcium — also known as 5-MTHF, or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. It is the predominant form of folate in the body and the most biologically active, and it acts as a methyl donor.

Two further characteristics are attached to it: it is unlikely to mask vitamin B12 deficiency, and it does not result in unmetabolised folic acid in the blood.

5-MTHF is already metabolically active, so it is directly usable by the body. Because of that, it is unaffected by the genetic polymorphism of the enzyme MTHF-reductase.

That is the substance of the distinction. We would note what it does not extend to: nothing in Eagle Tresos Natal's own information describes how folic acid itself is processed, what pathway it depends on, or how it compares as an ingredient. What is stated concerns 5-MTHF — that it is already active, directly usable, unaffected by the MTHF-reductase polymorphism, and does not leave unmetabolised folic acid in the blood. We have kept to that rather than filling in the comparison from elsewhere, and anything bearing on an individual's own folate needs is a conversation for a healthcare practitioner.

Eagle Tresos Natal does not rely on 5-MTHF alone. It also contains folinic acid, supplied as calcium folinate at 250 mcg per tablet — a metabolically active form of folate that bypasses the biochemical steps normally required by folic acid.

Folate is not the only nutrient supplied in an active form:

• Co-methylcobalamin (methyl-B12) 700 mcg — a biologically active form of vitamin B12, functioning as a cofactor to the enzyme methionine synthase, aiding the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Methyl-B12 is a vitamin B12 rather than a folate.

• Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) 10 mg — the metabolically active form of vitamin B6, supplied alongside 40 mg of pyridoxine hydrochloride.

Eagle Tresos Natal helps support the methylation and expression of genetic material (DNA).

Eagle Tresos Natal is a one-a-day multivitamin and mineral formula designed to provide an extensive nutritional foundation across preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding, in a vegan-friendly formulation combining vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.

It contains 5-MTHF and Methyl-B12, plus increased choline, vitamin D3 and iodine to support healthy foetal neurodevelopment. It helps support optimal nutritional and antioxidant status in mother and baby during pregnancy and lactation, and supports foetal and infant growth and development.

The dose is one tablet daily, taken with food, for adults. Taking it with food is part of the directions rather than an optional preference. The pack contains 90 tablets, which at one tablet daily represents 90 days, and the folate amounts above describe that single daily tablet.

This product contains selenium, which is toxic in high doses. A daily dose of 150 mcg of selenium for adults from dietary supplements should not be exceeded. Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

Eagle is a practitioner-only brand, and the restriction applies across the Eagle range. Only patients who have completed a consultation may have access to purchase Eagle products through this site, so Eagle Tresos Natal is not available as a general retail item and the consultation is a requirement rather than a recommendation.

That consultation is also the right place for questions about folate intake, existing supplements or individual circumstances

Each tablet contains 270.7 mcg of levomefolate calcium, equivalent to 250 mcg of levomefolic acid. The two figures differ because the first states the weight of the calcium salt and the second the folate itself. Because the formula is taken as one tablet daily with food, that is also the amount provided by a single daily dose.

The folate ingredients listed are levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF) at 270.7 mcg and folinic acid, as calcium folinate, at 250 mcg. 5-MTHF does not result in unmetabolised folic acid in the blood, and folinic acid bypasses the biochemical steps normally required by folic acid.

Levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF) is the predominant form of folate in the body and the most biologically active. It acts as a methyl donor, is already metabolically active and directly usable by the body, is unlikely to mask vitamin B12 deficiency, and does not result in unmetabolised folic acid in the blood. Folinic acid, as calcium folinate, is a metabolically active form of folate that bypasses the biochemical steps normally required by folic acid. On a folate-equivalent basis both are present at 250 mcg per tablet.

5-MTHF is already metabolically active, so it is directly usable by the body and therefore unaffected by the genetic polymorphism of the enzyme MTHF-reductase. That is the extent of what is stated on this point — no claim is made about suitability for any particular genetic variation or health condition, so anyone for whom this is relevant should raise it with their healthcare practitioner.

No. Co-methylcobalamin, listed as methyl-B12 and supplied at 700 mcg per tablet, is a biologically active form of vitamin B12, not a folate. It functions as a cofactor to the enzyme methionine synthase, aiding the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. The two folate forms in the product are levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF) and folinic acid as calcium folinate.

The dose is one tablet daily, taken with food, for adults. It is a one-a-day formula, so a single tablet delivers the full combination of ingredients rather than requiring multiple doses across the day, and the 90-tablet pack covers 90 days at that rate.

The product contains selenium, which is toxic in high doses, and a daily dose of 150 mcg of selenium for adults from dietary supplements should not be exceeded. Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

The 5-MTHF in Eagle Tresos Natal is levomefolate calcium, supplied at 270.7 mcg per tablet and equivalent to 250 mcg of levomefolic acid. It is the predominant form of folate in the body and the most biologically active, acts as a methyl donor, is already metabolically active and directly usable by the body, is unaffected by the genetic polymorphism of the enzyme MTHF-reductase, is unlikely to mask vitamin B12 deficiency, and does not result in unmetabolised folic acid in the blood. It sits alongside a second folate, folinic acid as calcium folinate at 250 mcg, which bypasses the biochemical steps normally required by folic acid, together with co-methylcobalamin at 700 mcg and pyridoxal-5-phosphate at 10 mg in their active forms, within a vegan-friendly one-a-day formula that helps support the methylation and expression of genetic material (DNA). Taken as one tablet daily with food, and noting the selenium warning above, Eagle Tresos Natal is a practitioner-only product requiring a completed consultation before purchase. Reach out to SuperPharmacy Plus and our pharmacy team can help with questions about the formulation, its two folate forms and how it fits alongside a completed consultation.