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Editorial illustration of whole and cut mangosteen with green leaves and thick ruby pericarp

Natural Home Cures · Mangosteen science

Folate
& Mangosteen

Vitamin B9 supports DNA production, normal cell division and blood cell formation.

Cell division · DNA
Explore the science ↓
Editorial illustration: Leafy greens. Naturally occurring folate.
A familiar food connectionLeafy greens. Naturally occurring folate.Green vegetables are among the foods that supply folate.

Folate, also called vitamin B9, helps the body build and renew cells. Explore its different forms, its role in the body and its everyday food sources, then discover the whole pericarp used in our mangosteen capsules.

B9Folate / an essential B vitamin

01 · Begin with the essentials

When the Body Makes New Cells

Your body needs folate to make DNA, the genetic instructions inside cells. It also supports normal cell division and the formation of red blood cells. These roles make folate important during growth and throughout life as the body renews its tissues.(1)

Editorial food illustration of leafy greens, lentils, asparagus and orange
Examples of foods containing folate

02 · Understand the form

Folate or Folic Acid?

Folate is the general name for vitamin B9 and its different forms. Food naturally contains folates, while many fortified foods and supplements contain folic acid. These forms are related, but they are not identical.(1)

Food folates

Naturally occurring forms in foods such as leafy greens, legumes, and oranges.

Folic acid

A synthetic form used in many fortified foods and supplements.(1)

03 · Normal biological roles

Growth Begins at the Cellular Level.

Conceptual paired DNA helices illustrating the need to copy genetic material

Supporting DNA Production

Folate helps carry the small chemical units used to build DNA and RNA. These molecules store and help the body use genetic instructions.(1)

Conceptual animal cell division with two daughter-cell nuclei

Support normal cell division.

Before a cell divides into two new cells, it must copy its DNA. Folate supports the production of the building blocks needed for that copy.(1)

Conceptual red blood cells illustrating normal blood formation

Form new blood cells.

Adequate folate helps support normal red blood cell formation.(1)

Nutrition in focus

When Folate Is in Short Supply

Too little folate can cause megaloblastic anemia, in which the body produces unusually large, poorly functioning red blood cells. Symptoms can include fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath.(2)

04 · An established public-health role

Early Development.
Why Timing Matters.

Before conception→Early pregnancy

Adequate folic acid intake during this period helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects affecting the developing brain and spinal cord.(1)

The neural tube develops very early, often before a pregnancy is recognized. Recommended folic acid intake before conception and during early pregnancy helps cover this critical period.

Which everyday foods provide vitamin B9?

05 · Everyday food sources

Folate in Everyday Foods.

Leafy greens, legumes and fruit provide natural folate. Fortified foods can provide added folic acid.(1)

Illustrative food photograph: Spinach and kale in a ceramic bowl

Leafy greens

Spinach and other dark greens

Illustrative food photograph: Bowls of lentils and chickpeas

Beans & lentils

Naturally occurring folate

Illustrative food photograph: Oranges, apple and pear

Citrus & fruit

Oranges are one example

Illustrative food photograph: Breakfast cereal beside an unbranded carton

Fortified foods

Check for added folic acid

The pericarp is mangosteen’s thick outer layer and the whole plant ingredient used in our capsules.

Natural Home Cures mangosteen capsules with fresh mangosteen fruit on sunlit limestone

06 · From fruit to product

Mangosteen Pericarp, Freeze-Dried

Natural Home Cures Freeze-Dried Rich Pericarp Mangosteen Capsules use the thick outer pericarp of Garcinia mangostana.

After harvest, the pericarp is freeze-dried and prepared for capsules, retaining it as a whole plant ingredient.

Discover our mangosteen →
The research behind this article

Source References

2 sources Show referencesHide references
  1. 01
    Nutrition referenceFolate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.

    National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.

    Full citation
    National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
    View source
  2. 02
    Nutrition researchNIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate — Consumer
    View source ↗