Why does Eagle Tresos Natal contain both 5-MTHF and folinic acid?

Eagle Tresos Natal is a one-a-day multivitamin and mineral formula designed to provide an extensive nutritional foundation during preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Its ingredient panel lists two folate forms rather than one: folinic acid (as calcium folinate) at 250 mcg, and levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF) at 270.7 mcg, equivalent to 250 mcg of levomefolic acid. Below is what the product listing sets out about each form — and what it does not.

Levomefolate calcium — 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, or 5-MTHF — is described on the listing as the predominant form of folate in the body and the most biologically active.

It acts as a methyl donor, is unlikely to mask vitamin B12 deficiency, and does not result in unmetabolised folic acid in the blood.

The listing also states that 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.

Calcium folinate, also known as folinic acid, is described as a metabolically active form of folate that bypasses the biochemical steps normally required by folic acid.

That is the extent of what the listing states about this ingredient. It describes what the form is, not what it is intended to add relative to the 5-MTHF alongside it.

The panel records both folate forms and their amounts, and describes each one individually. What it does not provide is a formulation rationale: it does not state why both forms are included together, what each contributes relative to the other, or what the combination is intended to achieve that a single form would not.

For that reason, questions about the reasoning behind including two folate forms are best directed to the healthcare practitioner overseeing your supplementation, rather than inferred from the panel.

The listing highlights several ingredients supplied in active forms, which sit alongside the two folates:

• Co-methylcobalamin (methyl-B12), 700 mcg — described as a biologically active form of vitamin B12, functioning as a cofactor to the enzyme methionine synthase and aiding the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Methyl-B12 is a form of vitamin B12, not a folate.

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

The listing also states that the formula helps support the methylation and expression of genetic material (DNA).

According to the product listing, Eagle Tresos Natal:

• Helps support optimal nutritional and antioxidant status in mother and baby during pregnancy and lactation

• Supports foetal and infant growth and development

• Helps support the methylation and expression of genetic material (DNA)

The listing describes the formula as containing 5-MTHF and Methyl-B12, plus increased choline, vitamin D3 and iodine to support healthy foetal neurodevelopment. It notes that iodine helps to support normal brain and cognitive development, choline is required for normal healthy neurological development of the growing foetus or baby, zinc is vital during periods of growth and cell differentiation such as pregnancy, and vitamin D plays an important role in the development, growth and mineralisation of the skeleton. These benefits are stated for the formula as a whole rather than attributed to the folate forms individually.

The formula is described as vegan-friendly.

The dose is one tablet daily, taken with food, for adults. The product is supplied in a 90-tablet pack, which at one tablet daily represents 90 days of dosing.

Eagle is a practitioner-only brand. Only patients who have completed a consultation may have access to purchase Eagle products through this site, so Eagle Tresos Natal is not supplied as a general retail item.

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, and speak with your healthcare practitioner about whether this formula is appropriate for you.

Eagle Tresos Natal is a one-a-day multivitamin and mineral formula designed to provide an extensive nutritional foundation during preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. According to the listing, 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 formula contains 5-MTHF and Methyl-B12, plus increased choline, vitamin D3 and iodine to support healthy foetal neurodevelopment. The dose is one tablet daily with food, for adults.

Each tablet contains 250 mcg of folinic acid, supplied as calcium folinate, and 270.7 mcg of levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF), which is equivalent to 250 mcg of levomefolic acid. The two figures differ because the 5-MTHF entry states the weight of the calcium salt, while the equivalence line states the folate itself — so on a folate-equivalent basis, both forms are present at 250 mcg.

No. Methyl-B12 — co-methylcobalamin, supplied at 700 mcg per tablet — is a form of vitamin B12, not a folate. The listing describes it as a biologically active form of vitamin B12 that 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.

No. The panel states both folate forms and their amounts, and describes what each form is, but it does not set out a formulation rationale. It does not explain why the two are combined, or what each is intended to contribute relative to the other. Because Eagle is a practitioner-only brand supplied following a consultation, questions of this kind are best put to the healthcare practitioner overseeing your supplementation.

The listing states that 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 full extent of what the product listing says on this point. It does not make claims about suitability for any particular genetic variation or health condition, so if this is relevant to your circumstances, discuss it with your healthcare practitioner.

The ingredient panel lists folinic acid (as calcium folinate) and levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF) as its folate ingredients. The listing describes folinic acid as bypassing the biochemical steps normally required by folic acid, and states that 5-MTHF does not result in unmetabolised folic acid in the blood.

The dose is one tablet daily with food, for adults. The product is supplied in a 90-tablet pack, so at the labelled dose that represents 90 days. Note the warning that the product contains selenium, which is toxic in high doses, and that 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.

Eagle Tresos Natal lists two folate forms on its ingredient panel: levomefolate calcium (5-MTHF) at 270.7 mcg, equivalent to 250 mcg of levomefolic acid, and folinic acid as calcium folinate at 250 mcg. The listing describes 5-MTHF as the predominant and most biologically active form of folate in the body, acting as a methyl donor, unlikely to mask vitamin B12 deficiency, and not resulting in unmetabolised folic acid in the blood; folinic acid is described as a metabolically active folate that bypasses the biochemical steps normally required by folic acid. What the panel does not provide is the reasoning behind including both, and its stated benefits — helping to support optimal nutritional and antioxidant status in mother and baby during pregnancy and lactation, supporting foetal and infant growth and development, and helping to support the methylation and expression of genetic material — are stated for the formula as a whole. Taken as one tablet daily with food, and noting the selenium warning above, Eagle Tresos Natal is a practitioner-only product available to patients who have completed a consultation, so your practitioner or our pharmacy team can help establish whether it suits your circumstances.