Folate: The Backbone of Life and Longevity 

Most scientists that I’ve met who study planets and galaxies believe it’s likely that life exists elsewhere in the universe. If this is the case, would we recognize such life forms if we were to come across them? Would they look like the two-legged, big-eyed aliens we see in movies? Unlikely. 

For whatever reason, life on earth developed around carbon. It could have been some other element, such as silicon, but such life would need different bodily structures. Carbon suits us because we breathe in oxygen, and our cells produce glucose. (You don’t have to eat sugar to produce glucose because your body does that anyway, for energy.) Carbon combines easily with other atoms and biomolecules, such as our DNA. Glucose is C6H12O6. As we breathe in oxygen, glucose and oxygen combine in our cells and later get broken down into carbon dioxide and water, which are then excreted by our lungs and kidneys. This chemical process can be expressed as C6H12O6+6O2→6CO2+6H2O+energy. 

While this one-carbon metabolism is the basis for life, folate (or vitamin B9) is the vitamin that ensures these blocks are properly assembled. Folate is the most efficient carbon donor. For example, folate can carry three hydrogen atoms and be a methyl (CH3-) donor. This 5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate) helps break down homocysteine into methionine. If this conversion doesn’t happen because of low folate levels, a person can develop high homocysteine levels. 

Recently a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan school of Public Health showed high homocysteine leads to worsening calcium deposits in arteries, which lead to plaques that can cause heart attacks and strokes. The study looked at 30 randomized controlled trials of more than 80,000 people and concluded that taking folate supplements reduced heart disease by 4 percent and strokes by 10 percent — particularly in people who had no preexisting heart disease. 

The findings show that high homocysteine levels increase heart disease and taking folate supplements helps reduce this risk in healthy people, but not for those that already have heart disease. However, when it comes to strokes, whether or not someone had a previous history of strokes didn’t matter. Folate helps anyway. 

We know that taking 0.4mg-5mg of folate reduces homocysteine levels by about 25 percent. We also know that folate is recommended for women when they’re thinking of having a baby. The US Preventive Services Task Force — a rather serious sounding name for a health promotion agency, I must say — recommends a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg of folic acid for anyone planning to become pregnant. This has been common practice in medicine for decades and has been shown to reduce spina bifida and neural tube defects in which the baby’s backbone doesn’t form properly. 

Folate is literally the backbone of life and longevity. It’s not only useful at the beginning of life, but for life extension, especially in females. Telomeres are the protein bits that stick out at the end of our chromosomes. Each time cells divide these telomeres shorten. Men have shorter telomeres than women, which is why men don’t live as long as women overall. Low folate levels have been shown to shorten telomeres. One study in 2018 showed that dietary supplementation slowed the aging clock in females. 

But what’s good for the goose isn’t necessarily good for the gander when it comes to longevity. In regards to folate as a longevity supplement for men, the scientific jury is still out.  

What are natural sources for folate? The very name “folate” stems from the Latin word folium, which means leaf, as in foliage. Green leafy vegetables are the main source. But increased consumption of processed foods means people may not eat enough folate. And, by the way, there’s no risk of eating too much folate from food sources. However, some people end up with low folate levels due to genetic variations. And this is where “biohacking your genes” — understanding your gene type — helps.  

The MTHFR gene produces the MTHFR enzyme that converts both folate and homocysteine obtained from the diet to an active form of the nutrient that can be used by the body at the cellular level. Variations in the MTHFR gene determine the way people’s bodies process dietary folate. Those people who have the CT or TT variant of the gene have reduced MTHFR enzyme activity and are at a higher risk of folate deficiency — especially when folate intake is low — compared to those with the CC variant. And we just discussed how low folate increases risks of heart disease and strokes. Therefore, for these people, supplementation is important.  

Some populations generally have a natural advantage. For example, inhabitants of Toulouse in France have some of the lowest levels of homocysteine in the world due to favourable MTFHR genes. Maybe that’s why — as the adage goes — French women don’t get fat. Some of the oldest women in France have lived to ages beyond 110 according to news reports. Research continues to suggest that the folate cycle and methionine restriction regulate longevity through many metabolic pathways. Folate ends up a one-carbon choreographer with multiple metabolic moves.

You can find out if you are at risk for folate deficiency at biohackingyourgenes.com.

Written by: By Sharad P. Paul, MD

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Sharad P. Paul, MD, is a skin cancer specialist, family physician, evolutionary biologist, storyteller, social entrepreneur, and an adjunct professor at Auckland University of Technology. Born in England, with a childhood in India, he’s a global citizen and noted polymath. He received the Ko Awatea International Excellence Award for “leading health Improvement on a global scale.” Paul has authored works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and medical textbooks. His new book is Biohacking Your Genes: 25 Laws for a Smarter, Healthier, and Longer Life (Beyond Words Publishing, Oct. 14, 2024). Learn more at www.BiohackingYourGenes.com.