NOW Foods Methyl Folate 1,000 mcg Review
#8 of 9 · Best High-Dose Active Folate✓ Label verified · Supplement Facts read Sep 7, 2026Real retailer photo, cut out. Label unedited.
Consider it. Value high-dose methylfolate for a niche need. Affordable 1 mg L-5-MTHF.
$14 approx~$0.16 / tablet
Why It Scores 6.0 — And The Label Line Behind Each Number
Form & Evidence Base
30% of scoreMethylfolate lacks NTD-prevention trials; a high dose does not create evidence that isn't there. The form is bioidentical L-5-MTHF, conversion-free and well-absorbed.
- Form
- L-5-MTHF tablet
Dose vs Clinical Target
25% of score1,000 mcg is well above the 400–800 mcg target — more than most women need without a specific reason.
- Dose
- 1,000 mcg (1,700 mcg DFE) L-5-MTHF
Third-Party Testing & Purity
20% of scoreGMP Quality Assured and non-GMO, but self-attested rather than independently verified.
- Testing / Certification
- Non-GMO, Vegetarian, Kosher, GMP Quality Assured
Tolerability & Safety
15% of scoreVegetarian, non-GMO and kosher in a convenient tablet format, but 1,000 mcg is more than most women need without a specific reason.
Value
10% of scoreAbout $14 for 90 tablets — good value for a 1 mg methylfolate, if you actually need 1 mg.
- Count
- 90 tablets
- Cost per dose
- ~$0.16 per tablet
Label verified. Every figure read from the Supplement Facts photo, Sep 7, 2026.
Marketing Claims Vs. Reality
1,000 mcg active folate is needed for MTHFR carriers
Standard 400–800 mcg doses of active folate normalize folate status in MTHFR carriers (PMID 19917061); routine 1,000 mcg intake is not established as necessary.
High-dose methylfolate improves pregnancy outcomes
No randomized trial demonstrates that 1 mg methylfolate prevents more NTDs or improves outcomes over the standard folic acid dose.
What Our Test Actually Found
Correction: DFE conversion on the label
An earlier version of this review said this product delivers 1,000 mcg (1,667 mcg DFE) of L-5-MTHF. The Supplement Facts panel reads 1,700 mcg DFE (1,000 mcg (6S)-5-MTHF from Quatrefolic). We re-read the label on Sep 7, 2026 and corrected the DFE figure in the lead and specs.
Two downgrades in one product
It is both above the target dose and in the unproven-for-NTD form. Either alone is a caveat; together they place it near the bottom despite fair pricing.
Good value only if you need this specific product
For the narrow group directed to high-dose active folate, the price is attractive. For everyone else, cheaper and evidence-proven options exist.
Full analysis: all pros & cons (7), buy if / skip if
- Bioidentical L-5-MTHF, no conversion required
- Good value for a 1 mg active-folate dose
- Vegetarian, non-GMO and kosher
- Convenient tablet format
- 90-count bottle for a three-month supply
- 1,000 mcg exceeds the 400–800 mcg prenatal target
- Active form lacks NTD-prevention evidence, and testing is self-attested
- Bioidentical L-5-MTHF, no conversion required
- Good value for a 1 mg active-folate dose
- Vegetarian, non-GMO and kosher
- 1,000 mcg exceeds the 400–800 mcg prenatal target
- Active form lacks NTD-prevention evidence, and testing is self-attested
Affordable 1 mg L-5-MTHF. Reasonable if a clinician directed you to a high active-folate dose, but above the prenatal target and in a form without NTD-prevention evidence — so it's not for most people.
NOW's methyl folate delivers 1,000 mcg (1,700 mcg DFE) of L-5-MTHF at a friendly price for a high-dose active folate. For someone specifically directed to a higher active-folate intake who also wants value, it makes sense. But it stacks two of our downgrades at once: a dose well above the 400–800 mcg prenatal target, and the active form's absence of NTD-prevention trials. It is well-made value within its niche, but that niche is narrow. Most women need neither 1 mg nor methylfolate, and this product offers both.
Niche high-dose value, not a general pick
This is a fine, affordable high-dose methylfolate for the narrow case where someone genuinely needs 1 mg of active folate. But it combines an above-target dose with a form that has no NTD-prevention data, so it ranks near the bottom. Most women should choose a 400 mcg folic acid tablet instead.
If This Doesn’t Fit — Try These
06Thorne 5-MTHF 1 mg
A high-quality, well-tested methylfolate — but the 1 mg dose is aimed at specific clinical situations, not routine prenatal folate.
01Nature Made 400 mcg
This is the default folate for nearly every woman: the proven form, the proven dose, and the one product here carrying USP verification.
Quick Answers
Do I need 1,000 mcg of folate?
Almost certainly not for routine prevention. Standard 400–800 mcg doses cover the prenatal target and normalize folate status even in MTHFR carriers. High doses should be clinician-directed.
Is high-dose methylfolate safer than folic acid?
There's no evidence it's safer or more protective for pregnancy. Folic acid at standard doses has the trial evidence; high-dose methylfolate does not.
Sources & Further Reading
2 peer-reviewed sources, each linked to PubMed
- [1] Prinz-Langenohl R, Brämswig S, Tobolski O, et al. [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate increases plasma folate more effectively than folic acid in women with the 677C→T MTHFR polymorphism. Br J Pharmacol. 2009;158(8):2014-21. PMID 19917061 — [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate increases plasma folate more effectively than folic acid in women with the 677C→T MTHFR polymorphism. Standard doses of 5-MTHF normalized plasma folate in MTHFR carriers; high doses not required.
- [2] MRC Vitamin Study Research Group. Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet. 1991;338(8760):131-7. PMID 1677062 — Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Folic acid — not methylfolate — was the form proven to prevent neural-tube defects.
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