Folinic Acid

Folinic acid, also known as 5-formyl tetrahydrofolate, is one active form in a group of vitamins known as folates. In contrast to folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, folinic acid is one of the forms of folate found naturally in foods. Folate deficiency is believed to be the most common vitamin deficiency in the world due to food processing, food selection, and intestinal disorders. In the body folinic acid may be converted into any of the other active forms of folate.

Folate coenzymes are responsible for the following important metabolic functions: 1) Formation of purines and pyrimidines which, in turn, are needed for synthesis of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. 2) Formation of heme, the iron-containing protein in hemoglobin, 3) Interconversion of the 3-carbon amino acid serine from the 2-carbon amino acid glycine, 4) Formation of the amino acids tyrosine from phenylalanine and glutamic acid from histidine, 5) Formation of the amino acid methionine from homocysteine (Vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin also is needed for this conversion). Elevated levels of homocysteine have been implicated in a wide range of health disorders. In the reconversion of homocysteine to methionine the body uses the methionine to make the important amino acid s-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) which is known to be helpful in cases of depression, 6) Synthesis of choline from ethanolamine, 7) Formation and maturation of red and white blood cells, and 8) Conversion of nicotinamide to N'-methylnicotinamide.