5 Premium Folic Acid Supplements for Whole-Body Health

Learn how folic acid can help you reduce stress and age gracefully – plus how to find the right supplement for you.

  • Written by: Brilliant Staff
  • Fact Checked by: Melissa Mitri, MS, RD
Read Time: 5 min read
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Many people believe that folic acid supplements are just for women during pregnancy, but folic acid is essential to everybody’s health, regardless of sex or gender.

Of course, folic acid supplements are extremely important for fetal development, but this is only one of the numerous health benefits that folic acid provides. Folic acid has gained attention for being a “woman’s vitamin" due to adequate consumption reducing the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida, but there is so much more to this essential nutrient. 

Let’s take a closer look at folic acid and explore its various roles and the reasons you might want or need to take it in supplement form.

Before you start taking folic acid, there are some key factors to consider when making your selection. We’ll share our 5 must-have folic acid supplements of the year, so you can make an informed choice and find the best option for your needs.

Benefits of Folic Acid

  • Stress Reduction

  • Supports Mental Health

  • Supports Fetal Development

  • Supports Brain & Heart Health

Folate, a form of vitamin B-9, supports a multitude of processes within the body. Its synthetic version, often found in dietary supplements, is called folic acid. 

The human body uses folic acid for foundational processes such as making red blood cells, synthesizing DNA and RNA, and reducing the risk of brain or spine fetal deformities. It has a protective effect against many health issues and helps the body perform maintenance activities that are important for long-lasting health. 

Folic acid is also essential for metabolism and nutrient absorption and can even reduce the production of stress hormones. It has been shown that people struggling with mental health are often lacking in this important nutrient that is vital for mental and physical health. It even plays a role in aging and can protect long term eyesight, hearing, and reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline.
foods rich in folic acid (vitamin B9)
How do you know what kind of folic acid supplement is right for you? As with anything you put in your body, it is important to choose the highest quality available. We’ve dug into which folic acid supplements offer high quality at the best price so you can easily decide which is the choice for you.

Step 1

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Step 2

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Step 3

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What You Should Look For

Food-Based

Look for food-based supplements that draw highly absorbable folate from raw foods like broccoli, citrus fruits, and leafy veggies, rather than synthetic folic acid.

Quality Assurance

Seek out supplement brands committed to top-notch quality and who have policies and procedures in place to ensure high standards for supplement formulas and manufacturing. An “NSF” or “USP” label shows that the supplement has been vetted by a reputable third party, correctly crafted, and contains the stated vitamin amount.

Watch Out For

Unnecessary Fillers & Extra Ingredients

Many supplement manufacturers add unnecessary ingredients to their formulas. While most are perfectly safe, examining the label for ingredients you would prefer not to consume is important.

Products Not Third-Party Tested

As supplements are not evaluated or approved by the FDA before commercialization, look for a company that does voluntary testing of their products to ensure purity and the correct dosage.

High Dosage Formulas

More is not better when it comes to folic acid supplements. Because folate is available from food sources, it is not necessary to take high doses of this nutrient and too much could even be harmful.

The Brilliant Process

How We Choose Products

Like you, we’re picky about products — and serious about quality. 

Whether we’re featuring an award-winning product from one of our five beauty and wellness brands — or somebody else’s — a Brilliant recommendation doesn’t see the light of day until it has been medically reviewed by our Fact Checkers for accuracy and has fulfilled our Brilliant Criteria. 

At Brilliant, although we often feature products that we sell, we’re not afraid to highlight and celebrate other brands who are doing things right.

Brilliant Criteria

We take great care in handpicking high-quality products to feature on Brilliant. Here’s how we choose them:
  • High-Quality Ingredients: We dig deep into the latest research and look for products that contain comprehensive ingredients for optimal impact
  • Pure, Holistic Formulas: We prioritize products that contain clean, wholesome ingredients. A product should only contain what it needs and nothing else—period.
  • Brand Credibility: Each product on our list is produced by a company with trusted credibility. We've also verified that each brand adheres to labeling requirements set forth under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
  • Value: We evaluate products based on industry averages and price per serving or application. We also consider quantity and return policy.

Why Trust Us?

As veteran leaders in the wellness space with an award-winning brand portfolio of 100+ health and beauty products, we are committed to honesty and transparency, providing thoughtful insights into the benefits and limitations of the information and products we evaluate — including our own. Every Brilliant Buying Guide is thoroughly vetted for medical accuracy by our Fact Checkers prior to publication.

With our discerning selection process, you can feel confident that the products we recommend meet the highest benchmarks of quality, transparency, and efficacy. If we wouldn’t use a product ourselves, it’s not Brilliant.
Now that you know about the importance of folic acid supplements it’s time to shop. Check out our Brilliant recommendations below, including what to consider before making your purchase..
folic acid supplement products comparison chart

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What We Like:

    • Certified organic
    • Food based extract
    • Vegetarian
    • Small easy-to-swallow tablets
    • Gluten-free
    • Non-GMO
    • Preservative free
    • Manufactured in cGMP registered facility
    • Lab tested
    • Well established company
    • One-year return policy 
    • Made in the USA

Room To Improve:

    • Contains corn maltodextrin which may cause stomach upset for some people
    • Lack of coating may lead to tablet brittleness

Final Thoughts

Bronson Folic Acid is certified organic and extracted from a food source – organic lemon peels. By harnessing the power of nature, Bronson delivers a high-quality supplement that has no synthetic form of folate. As a bonus, the citrus bioflavonoids, beneficial substances from the lemon peel, are included and offer even more health benefits.

While this is a naturally sourced nutritional supplement, Bronson folic acid tablets contain corn maltodextrin, which can upset some people's stomach. They are also not coated with shellac or other sealing agents so it is possible that the tablets may crumble slightly if they are jostled around in the bottle. 

However, this isn’t too much of a downside when you consider the lack of additives in the product.

Bronson has been manufacturing supplements for 60 years, so you can trust that they know what they are doing. Their products are lab-tested to ensure purity and potency and they are manufactured in a cGMP registered facility for Good Manufacturing Practices. 

Best of all, if for some reason you don’t love the product, you can return it for up to one year and get your money back.

Product Specs

  • 180 tablets per bottle (180 servings) 
  • Made from organic lemon peel
  • Contains citrus bioflavonoids 
  • 800 mcg folic acid per serving
  • 100% Money back guarantee
  • Company started in 1960
  • Gluten Free, Soy Free, Non-GMO
  • Price: $

*We earn a commission if you click on this link to make a purchase of Bronson Folic Acid.

What We Like:

    • Vegetarian
    • Hypoallergenic
    • Certified gluten-free
    • Non-GMO
    • Soy free
    • Dairy free
    • Egg free
    • Manufactured in an NSF-GMP registered facility and exceeds USP standards
    • Third-party tested
    • Made in the USA
    • Implements sustainability practices
    • Contributes to charitable organizations

Room To Improve:

    • High price point
    • 30-day return policy needs preauthorization
    • Can only be purchased from third-party sellers or health practitioners

Final Thoughts

Pure Encapsulations offers a reliable, high-quality product and you can feel good about purchasing from this trustworthy company. The capsule size is small, hypoallergenic, and vegan. They pride themselves on never adding unnecessary fillers or additives as well as avoiding cross-contamination with common allergens.

While this bottle is similarly priced when compared to other folic acid supplements, be aware that there are only 60 capsules included. This makes the price per dose much higher than many other products on the market.

Pure Encapsulations has an excellent reputation for manufacturing top-quality supplements that are third-party tested and meet stringent manufacturing standards. Not only do they produce excellent products, they give to charitable organizations and make efforts to make their products more sustainable.

Product Specs

  • 60 capsules per bottle (60 servings) 
  • 800 mcg folic acid per serving
  • Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Non-GMO, Vegetarian
  • Price: $$

*We earn a commission if you click on this link to make a purchase of Pure Encapsulations Folic Acid.

What We Like:

    • Gluten-free
    • Non-GMO
    • Derived from folate
    • Manufactured in cGMP registered facility
    • Third-party tested
    • 60-day return policy

Room To Improve:

    • Larger capsules may be hard to swallow 
    • Not suitable for vegetarians

Final Thoughts

At 1,000 mcg per serving, Nutricost offers a plentiful dose for a great price, making it a good choice for someone looking to pair quality with affordability. This folic acid supplement is derived from folate but it doesn't specify so it is unclear if it is from a food source. 

If someone eats a well-balanced diet this might be more than they actually need to fulfill their daily folate requirements, so be sure to keep that in mind when choosing the right supplement for you.

Because the folic acid is in a gelatin capsule it isn’t a good choice for vegetarians. However with rice flour being the only additional ingredient, you can trust that this is a product without unnecessary additives or fillers.

Nutricost is a company that is committed to quality and verifies the contents of its supplements with third-party testing and meets GMP standards. They offer a 60-day money-back guarantee so you can be assured that if for any reason you are not satisfied with the product you can receive a refund.

Product Specs

  • 240 capsules per bottle (240 servings)
  • 1,000 mcg of folic acid per serving
  • Gluten Free & Non-GMO
  • Price: $

*We earn a commission if you click on this link to make a purchase of Nutricost Folic Acid.

What We Like:

    • Vegetarian
    • Small easy-to-swallow tablets
    • Contains 65 mg of calcium
    • Gluten-free
    • Dairy free
    • Preservative free
    • Corn free
    • Soy free

Room To Improve:

    • Contains dicalcium phosphate
    • Contains additional binders
    • 30-day return policy

Final Thoughts

GNC’s folic acid supplement comes in small easy-to-swallow tablets which are fantastic for people who have trouble swallowing large pills or capsules. 

There are some added ingredients that we aren’t thrilled about, such as magnesium stearate which are likely included as binders for tablet formation. While perfectly safe in moderation, too much may lead to diarrhea. These also contain dicalcium phosphate which can lead to an upset stomach.

Again, pay attention to the dosage to ensure you aren’t getting too much folic acid in a higher-dose formula such as this one. They also offer a lower dose, which may be more appropriate for some people. 

GNC offers quality products at a great price and they have a large variety of offerings so it’s easy to shop for multiple supplements at once. You can also subscribe to your frequently purchased supplements to save time and ensure you never run out of what you need.

The company is also making efforts to reduce waste by altering its packaging to be more compact and reduce the amount of plastic used in the production of its products.

Product Specs

  • 100 tablets per bottle (100 servings) 
  • 1,000 mcg folic acid per serving
  • Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Corn Free, Soy Free
  • No preservatives
  • Price: $

*We earn a commission if you click on this link to make a purchase of GNC Folic Acid.

What We Like:

    • Vegetarian
    • Small easy-to-swallow tablets
    • Affordable price
    • Gluten-free
    • Preservative free
    • Well established company
    • Made in the USA with internationally sourced ingredients

Room To Improve:

    • Contains additional binders 
    • Uncoated tablets may leave a “gritty taste”
    • 30-day return policy

Final Thoughts

Nature’s Blend provides an abundant amount of folic acid in this bottle with 1,000 tablets. If you would like the convenience of not having to re-purchase very often, this one’s for you.

As a small-sized tablet, this folic acid supplement is easy to swallow and provides a potent dose. Some additional binders are included, but they are made without gluten, corn, and artificial colors.

Nature’s Blend is a well-respected supplement manufacturer and has been around since 1974. They have an in-house analytical laboratory where they test raw materials and the finished supplement products. They take every precaution to ensure the integrity and safety of their products and guarantee the potency that is stated on the label.

Product Specs

  • 1,000 capsules per bottle (1,000 servings) 
  • 1,000 mcg folic acid per serving
  • Company started in 1974
  • Gluten Free, Preservative Free
  • Price: $

*We earn a commission if you click on this link to make a purchase of Nature’s Blend Folic Acid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does folic acid do in the body?

Folate and folic acid are involved in making healthy cells, including red blood cells. It protects against birth defects in the brain and helps keep your heart healthy. It can also benefit hair health, mental health, and support energy levels.

What happens if you take too much folic acid?

Side effects of excess folic acid can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, skin reactions, mental confusion, irritability, and in extreme cases, seizures.

How long does it take for folic acid to work?

You may be able to feel the benefits of taking folic acid within a few hours, but if you have a medical condition that interferes with absorption it may take a few weeks to feel the full effects.

Citations

  1. HealthLinkBC, July 2020 https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/healthfiles/hfile38c.pdf 
  2.  Felman, Adam. 28 Nov. 2023, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219853. 
  3. Yi, Xin, et al. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, vol. 7, no. 5, Feb. 2014, pp. 1100–10. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2014.1553. 
  4. Drugs.com, www.drugs.com/folic_acid.html. 
  5. Cao, Changwei, et al. Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 3, Mar. 2020, p. 870. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030870. 
  6. ScienceDaily, 9 Feb. 2009, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223221336.htm. 
  7. Abou‐Saleh, Mohammed T., and Alec Coppen. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. 61, no. 3, Sept. 2006, pp. 285–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.07.007. 
  8. Office of Dietary Supplements, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16938502/ 
  9.  Mayo Clinic, 10 Aug. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-folate/art-20364625. 
  10. Lasisi, Akeem O., et al. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, vol. 143, no. 6, Dec. 2010, pp. 826–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otohns.2010.08.031. 
  11. WebMD. www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-159847/calcium-phosphate-dibasic-oral/details. 
  12. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
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