Advertising disclosure

Vitamin B9 explained: what it is and food sources

Vitamin B9, also called folate, is needed to make DNA and other genetic material and for cells to divide, according to the NIH. It occurs naturally in spinach, liver, asparagus and brussels sprouts, and adults 19 and older need 400 mcg DFE daily. One product we reviewed lists vitamin B9, and its label prints 600 mcg per serving.

By HowNook's Health desk · Updated

OHOOOHOONHNHNNNHNNH₂
What it is
Vitamin
What adults need a day (ages 19 and older)
400 mcg
Upper limit
1,000 mcg daily from supplements and fortified foods and beverages.
In the products we reviewed
1, its label prints the amount

What vitamin B9 is

  • Folate occurs naturally in foods such as spinach, liver, asparagus, and brussels sprouts.1
  • Vitamin B9 is also called folate, a name that includes food folates and folic acid.1
  • Your body needs folate to make DNA and other genetic material.2
  • Your cells need folate to divide.2
  • Supplements usually contain folic acid, but some contain methylfolate, also called 5-MTHF.2
  • Folic acid is available in multivitamins, prenatal vitamins, B-complex supplements, and supplements containing only folic acid.1
  • Your body absorbs more folic acid from fortified foods and supplements than folate naturally present in foods.2

Foods that have it2

  • Beef liver
  • Asparagus
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Spinach
  • Mustard greens
  • Oranges
  • Orange juice
  • Peanuts
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Kidney beans
  • Enriched bread
  • Enriched flour
  • Enriched cornmeal
  • Enriched pasta
  • Enriched rice
  • Fortified breakfast cereals
  • Fortified corn masa flour

How much vitamin B9 each product gives

Per serving, as each label prints it, against what an adult needs a day

Adults need 400 mcg a day

SeroBurn600 mcg · 150% of daily need

Before you take it

If you take medicines

methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall)
Folate supplements could interfere with methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) when it is used for cancer.2
phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, Equetro, Epitol), and valproate (Depacon)
These seizure medicines can decrease folate levels in the blood. Folate supplements can also decrease blood levels of these medicines.2
sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) used for ulcerative colitis can interfere with folate absorption and cause folate deficiency.2

Side effects

  • Large amounts of folate supplements might hide a vitamin B12 deficiency without correcting its nerve damage.2

Ask a doctor first

  • Do not exceed the upper limit for folate from supplements and fortified foods or beverages unless a health care provider recommends it.2
  • Women and teen girls who could become pregnant should consume 400 mcg of folic acid daily from supplements, fortified foods, or both, in addition to folate from a healthy diet.2

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. A supplement is not a medicine.

The product we reviewed that lists vitamin B9

ProductForm and servingVitamin B9 per servingOur scorePrice a bottleBuy
SeroBurn#3 in weight loss supportCapsules2 capsules600 mcg150% of daily need9.3$49Check price
Prices checked Oct 5, 2026

Questions people ask

Are folate and folic acid the same thing?

Folate is the name for vitamin B9, including food folates and folic acid. The NIH says your body needs folate to make DNA and other genetic material, and your cells need it to divide.

What foods are high in vitamin B9?

Beef liver, asparagus, brussels sprouts, spinach and mustard greens are food sources of vitamin B9. Folate also occurs in oranges, peanuts, black-eyed peas and kidney beans. Enriched bread, pasta and rice, along with fortified breakfast cereals, also contain it.

How much folate do adults need per day?

Adults 19 and older need 400 mcg DFE of folate daily. The recommended daily amount is 600 mcg DFE during pregnancy and 500 mcg DFE while breastfeeding. DFE means dietary folate equivalents.

How much folate is too much?

1,000 mcg daily is the adult upper limit for folate from supplements and fortified foods and beverages. Large amounts of folate supplements might hide a vitamin B12 deficiency without correcting its nerve damage. Exceed the upper limit only if a clinician recommends it.

What forms of folate are in supplements?

Folate supplements usually contain folic acid, but some contain methylfolate, also called 5-MTHF. Folic acid is available in multivitamins, prenatal vitamins, B-complex supplements and supplements containing only folic acid. Your body absorbs more folic acid from fortified foods and supplements than folate naturally present in foods.

Which supplements we reviewed contain vitamin B9?

SeroBurn is the only product we reviewed that lists vitamin B9. Its label prints 600 mcg per serving of 2 capsules, or 150% of the daily value.

Sources

The products, amounts and prices come from each product's label and checkout, as its review shows them. AI drafts our pages from listed sources, figures are checked against them, and we have not tried the products.

  1. 1NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Folate - Health Professionalods.od.nih.gov/factsheetschecked
  2. 2NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Folate - Consumerods.od.nih.gov/factsheetschecked