Natural Folate vs. Synthetic Folic Acid: 2025 Market Trends

Market data shows that in 2023 the global vitamin B9 (folic acid) market was approximately USD 118 million, and is expected to grow to USD 160 million by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1%. China, as the world's primary producer of folic acid, accounts for around 90% of global capacity. Its mature industrial chain and rich resources support broad applications across food and beverage, dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed.

This landscape is turning industry attention toward medicine, food homology ingredients: how to leverage modern food processes and technologies to scientifically develop raw materials rich in natural folate, and transform them into daily friendly, palatable, and efficacy‐driven natural folate nourishing products. The following explores innovation paths for developing food‐based supplements centered on natural folate from medicine food homology ingredients.

The truth about folate supplementation:
Differentiated needs and market opportunities
Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is a water‐soluble vitamin essential to human health. It plays a key role in cell division, DNA synthesis, anemia prevention, fetal development, and cardiovascular health.

People typically supplement folate in two ways: through daily foods (natural folate intake), or through folate‐related supplements, which suit preconception and pregnant women and those needing rapid replenishment, for example:

Preventing birth defects: Adequate folate intake reduces the risk of fetal neural tube defects (e.g., spina bifida, anencephaly). Because the neural tube closes very early in pregnancy (often before a woman realizes she is pregnant), folate supplementation must begin in advance.

Preventing anemia: Folate is required for healthy red blood cell production. Deficiency impairs maturation, leading to megaloblastic anemia with symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and pallor.

Cardiovascular benefits: Folate helps convert homocysteine in the blood into other beneficial compounds. Elevated homocysteine is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, associated with arterial damage and increased thrombosis risk.

Folate supplements tailored for pregnancy, anemia, and older adults Source: TaobaoImage: Folate supplements tailored for pregnancy, anemia, and older adults Source: Taobao

As an essential micronutrient, folate cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through diet. By source, it is generally divided into natural folate and synthetic folic acid, which differ in structure, absorption mechanisms, and stability.

Natural folate is abundant in leafy greens, citrus fruits, and legumes, and integrates readily into human metabolic pathways. However, it is less stable and prone to degradation during cooking due to heat, light, pH, and metal ions. Rational preparation methods help preserve its activity in daily diets.

Synthetic folic acid is widely used in supplements and fortified foods. Compared with natural folate, it is more stable and relatively more bioavailable, yet may pose metabolic risks. For women planning pregnancy and those who are pregnant, supplements remain a reliable way to ensure adequate intake.

Folic AcidImage source: Internet

Important misconceptions persist:

Different groups need different daily amounts:

Adults: 400 μg/day

Preconception women: 400-800 μg/day

Pregnant women: 600-800 μg/day

Lactation: ~500 μg/day

High‐risk conditions: Up to 5 mg/day under medical supervision

Some individuals have folate metabolism barriers: Factors include limited MTHFR enzyme activity, malabsorption, drug interactions, liver disease, and inadequate dietary intake. These individuals struggle to convert standard folic acid into the active form (5‐methyltetrahydrofolate, 5‐MTHF), and may require already‐activated folate supplements.

640 (1)Image source: Internet

Additionally, certain habits and medications affect folate absorption and utilization, such as chronic alcohol intake and some antiepileptic drugs or antibiotics.

Folate supplementation is therefore not "one size fits all." It involves specific needs by population, individual differences, and potential risks. Yet today's market still primarily features synthetic folic acid products, whose metabolic limitations contrast sharply with consumers' growing demand for "natural, safe, and personalized" health solutions. The market urgently needs folate strategies that are safe, effective, and precisely matched to different population needs.

Medicine-food homology:
Hidden treasury of natural folate
Previous research suggests the most impactful measure is "total folate," including natural folate from foods and folic acid from fortified foods and dietary supplements. Because natural folate is water‐soluble and does not remain long in the body, it requires continuous dietary replenishment.

Beyond common sources such as spinach, asparagus, avocado, animal liver, and legumes, many medicine-food homology ingredients are rich in natural folate, offering traditional health functions while serving as important folate sources:

Goji berry (Lycium barbarum)
Folate content: Up to 1,400 μg per 100 g (dry), with ~70% bioavailability, exceeding typical leafy greens.

Traditional functions: Neutral and sweet in nature; enters liver and kidney meridians; nourishes kidney and liver, benefits essence and eyesight, and supports qi and blood.

Nutritional synergy: Folate and iron directly participate in hemoglobin synthesis; polysaccharides support immune modulation.

Formulation tip: Pair with vitamin C-rich foods (e.g., lemon) to develop composite nutrition products that improve folate absorption.

Goji berryImage source: Internet

Black sesame
Folate content: ~191 μg per 100 g. Also rich in essential amino acids, iron, vitamin E, and unsaturated fatty acids.

Potential benefits: Supports metabolism, helps prevent anemia, activates brain cells, and may help lower cholesterol.

Traditional functions: "Tonifies liver and kidney, benefits essence and blood." Often combined with black rice; suitable for composite products targeting liver-kidney insufficiency and essence-blood deficiency.

Black sesameImage source: Internet

Euryale seed (Gorgon fruit)
Folate content: ~18 μg per 100 g (lower), but provides vitamin E, minerals, and easily absorbed small‐granule starch - suitable for pregnant/postpartum women and those with weak digestion.

Traditional functions: Tonifies the middle and qi, nourishes essence, strengthens will.

Bioactive compounds: Flavonoids, cyclopeptides, and glucosteroids with antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti‐myocardial ischemia effects.

Pairing: Often combined with malt, hawthorn, and yam to promote digestion, enhance immunity, and aid glycemic modulation.

Euryale seed (Gorgon fruit)Image source: Internet

Lotus seed
Folate content: Dry seeds ~45-60 μg per 100 g; lotus embryo (heart) higher (80-90 μg), though bitter; de‐embryo lotus commonly used (~40-50 μg).

Bioavailability: Predominantly bound folate (>65%), with ~68% bioavailability; slow release during digestion, less susceptible to gastric acid - well suited for folate supplementation in those with sensitive stomachs.

Lotus seedImage source: Internet

Hawthorn
Folate content: Dried ~20-35 μg per 100 g; fresh 8-12 μg.

Thermal stability: After 60°C drying or 100°C boiling for 30 minutes, folate retention exceeds 75%, far higher than spinach (under 50% with similar processing).

Application advantage: Ideal for products requiring thermal processing.

HawthornImage source: Internet

Taken together, medicine-food homology ingredients such as goji, black sesame, euryale seed, lotus seed, and hawthorn not only provide accessible natural folate but also deliver diverse bioactive compounds and traditional health functions - offering strong potential for development and complementary applications.

How natural folate fits "three core populations":
Formulation innovation
With higher safety and metabolism‐aligned bioavailability, natural folate - under the medicine-food homology concept - has formed differentiated product matrices for three core groups: pregnant/postpartum women and infants, middle‐aged and older adults, and the general health market.

Physiological differences drive precision in ingredient pairing and process design, avoiding potential risks of synthetic folic acid while amplifying nutritional synergy through composite formulations.

Pregnant/postpartum women and infants:
High safety + precise nutrition
Goji berry: High folate + iron can be paired with gentle ingredients (e.g., yam, jujube) to develop postpartum qi-blood conditioning drinks or pastes, reducing reliance on synthetic iron and folic acid supplements.

Lotus seed: Bound folate is gentle and less irritating to sensitive gastrointestinal tracts; can be milled into powder for infant nutritional rice cereals or pregnancy meal replacements, delivering folate while supporting calming and spleen‐strengthening traditional effects.

Black sesame: Rich in folate, unsaturated fatty acids, and calcium - ideal for late‐pregnancy and lactation snacks (e.g., sesame balls, cookies), efficiently covering critical nutrients.

Black sesame cookiesImage source: TMall

Middle‐aged and older adults:
Chronic disease prevention + functional synergy
Cardiovascular support: Products add natural folate‐rich extracts alongside antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10 to help reduce homocysteine levels and lower cardiovascular risk.

Antioxidant formulations: Natural folate paired with vitamin E and selenium to counteract oxidative damage from multiple angles and support systemic function.

Neuroprotection: Natural folate, B6, and B12 jointly metabolize homocysteine, reducing neurotoxicity and potentially lowering dementia risk; may also improve sleep and memory in adults over 60 facing cognitive decline.

Hawthorn: Combines heat‐stable folate with traditional lipid‐lowering and blood‐invigorating functions; can be formulated with astragalus and ginseng into solid beverages or tablets for targeted lipid modulation.

Herbal TeaImage source: TMALL

Goji + black sesame synergy: Goji polysaccharides with black sesame's vitamin E and selenium form robust antioxidant combinations for formulas aimed at healthy aging and cognitive maintenance - aligned with the holistic perspective of medicine-food homology.

General health market:
Everyday scenarios + easy supplementation
Convenient formats: Snacks: Single‐serve packs of black sesame and goji, or energy bars, deliver traditional wisdom in modern convenient forms. Drinks: Hawthorn + goji blends create flavorful wellness teas with clear benefits ("appetite‐opening," "eye health") and natural folate replenishment.

Functional beverages: Combine juices rich in natural folate (e.g., orange) with other nutrients in balanced ratios to help consumers top up folate in daily hydration.

Fortified basics: Add euryale and lotus seed powders to breakfast cereals or meal‐replacement mixes to supplement folate while supporting intestinal motility - meeting "light wellness" preferences.

Conclusion
With the core advantages of "low overdose risk, high bioavailability, and metabolism alignment," natural folate - empowered by medicine-food homology - has moved beyond the scope of a single nutrient to become a vital bridge between traditional wellness and modern nutrition science.

From uncovering folate features in hawthorn and lotus seed to designing products tailored to pregnant/postpartum women and older adults, natural folate is reshaping supplementation into a natural part of daily eating. Looking ahead, as AI‐assisted formulation and cold‐chain upgrades advance, natural folate will integrate more precisely into everyday diets, standardize ingredient cultivation, and deliver full‐cycle health support across populations - driving nutrition consumption toward scientific, diversified upgrades.

References
Xu Tianyue, Zhang Junjie, et al. Progress in forms, stability, and naturalization of folate (vitamin B9). DOI: 10.19812/j.cnki.jfsq11-5956/ts.2024.02.029

Tan Mei. Enrichment and stability of natural folate/VB6 in Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented purple cabbage juice and mechanisms of action on the gut microbiota. Jinan University thesis.

Qin Shuyong. Questions and answers on folate supplementation: Scientific supplementation to safeguard health. Proceedings of the 2025 South China Health Management Forum - Health Science Popularization Collection.

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