Folic Acid Tablets: 400mcg, 1000mcg or 5mg, and What the NHS Advises
Are you planning a pregnancy, or have you just found out that you are pregnant, and folic acid is the first thing everyone mentions? The NHS says the same: “If you’re pregnant, trying for a baby, or could get pregnant, it’s recommended that you take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement daily until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.” [2] It matters because of what this B vitamin does: folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy, to normal blood formation and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue [1].
Wondering which folic acid to choose? It’s simple once you have the facts. Pouches say 400mcg, 1000µg or 5mg, and folate, folic acid and methylfolate all sit on the same shelf. Our own tablet holds 1,000µg, which is 1mg, in one small vegan tablet a day, a year’s supply for about 3p a day [4]. This guide walks you through the numbers and the names, what the NHS advises, and which of our tablets fits your day.
Folic acid tablets at a glance
- What it is: folic acid, the manmade form of the B vitamin folate, in a small coated vegan tablet [2] [4].
- One tablet: 1,000µg of folic acid, which is 1mg and 500% of the Nutrient Reference Value.
- How to take it: one small tablet a day with water, as the label says [4].
- Price: £9.99 for 365 tablets, a year at about 3p a day.
- Authorised claims: folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy, to normal blood formation and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue [1].
FOLIC ACID 1000MCG · 365 VEGAN TABLETS
£9.99 · 365 servings · 1 tablet daily with water · folic acid 1,000µg, 500% NRV · about 3p a day
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Which folic acid supplement is right for you: 400mcg, 1000mcg or 5mg?
Three amounts turn up again and again, and they are meant for different people. Start with the amount on the front of the pouch: it is the number that tells them apart.
Folic acid 400mcg: the amount the NHS names for pregnancy
Are you pregnant, trying for a baby, or could you get pregnant? Then 400 micrograms a day is the figure in the NHS advice, from before conception until 12 weeks [2].
Our Sugar-Free Folic Acid 400mcg gummies give you exactly that, 400µg in one gummy a day, and a 60-day supply works out at about 15p a day [4].
FOLIC ACID 400MCG · 60 SUGAR-FREE GUMMIES
£8.99 · 60 servings · chew 1 gummy daily · folic acid 400µg, 200% NRV · about 15p a day
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Folic acid tablets 1000mcg: one a day, a year in a pouch
Want a whole year of folic acid in one pouch? Our Folic Acid 1000mcg tablets give 1,000µg in one small tablet a day, and 365 of them cost about 3p a day. There’s a 90-tablet pouch at £5.99 if a year feels like a lot.
Folic acid 5mg: a prescription, not a pouch
Have you been told to take 5mg? That is a higher dose the NHS describes for some women with an increased risk, and it comes from a doctor [2] [3]. We don’t sell 5mg tablets; ours give a different amount, 1,000µg, which is 1mg, in one tablet a day [4].
L-methylfolate 1000mcg: folate in another form
Looking for folate as methylfolate instead? Our L-Methylfolate 1000ug tablets give 1,000µg of folate as L-5-MTHF in one tablet, 180 days for about 6p a day.
L-METHYLFOLATE 1000UG · 180 VEGAN TABLETS
£9.99 · 180 servings · 1 tablet daily with water · folate 1,000µg as L-5-MTHF, 500% NRV · about 6p a day
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You’ll find our folic acid pouches in a few places: the folic acid range, our main vitamins section and our women’s health collection. The methylfolate pouches have their own section in our L-methylfolate range. If you’d like to know more about this form of folate, we cover it fully in our L-methylfolate guide.
Folic acid in a multivitamin or B complex
Would you rather take your folic acid as part of a wider formula? Our multivitamins include it: 300µg in one MultiVitamin & Minerals tablet, and 200µg in the two-tablet serving of our Women’s Multivitamins [6]. It’s also in our vitamin B complex range, where each Vitamin B Complex capsule gives you 200µg [6].
You’ll also find 240µg in each of our B Complex gummies, and 250µg in a serving of our Iron Complex 28mg gummies, alongside their iron [6].
Who needs to take folic acid? What the NHS says
The NHS puts the daily need plainly: “Adults need 200 micrograms of folate a day.” [2]
For pregnancy, timing is part of the advice: “Folic acid supplements need to be taken before you get pregnant, so start taking them before you stop using contraception or if there’s a chance you might get pregnant.” [2]
“If you’re pregnant, trying for a baby, or could get pregnant, it’s recommended that you take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement daily until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.”
B vitamins and folic acid, nhs.uk [2]
Folic acid 1000mcg on the label: µg, mcg, mg and 500% NRV
Three spellings, one unit: µg, mcg and ug all mean microgram, a thousandth of a milligram. So the 1000µg on our pouch is 1mg, 400µg is 0.4mg, and a 5mg prescription tablet is 5,000µg.
1,000µg = 1mg · the NRV for folate is 200µg, so 1,000µg is 500% · the NHS amount for pregnancy: 400 micrograms · a prescription tablet: 5mg = 5,000µg · 365 tablets = a year · £9.99 ÷ 365 = about 3p a day.
Folic Acid 1000mcg, 365 Tablets, nutrition panel [4]
The 500% beside it is measured against the Nutrient Reference Value for folate, 200µg. It simply tells you the tablet holds five times the reference amount.
What else is in a folic acid tablet?
One milligram is a tiny weight, so the tablet is built around it: a cellulose bulking agent, a coating of hypromellose coloured with yellow iron oxide, and magnesium stearate to stop it sticking. Folic acid comes last on the ingredients list because it weighs the least.
Folic acid tablets vs L-methylfolate: how they compare
The table puts our labels side by side: what each declares, and who it suits. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
1 tablet · folic acid 1,000µg, 500% NRV · that is 1mg · coated tablet, vegan
Choose if 1,000µg is the amount you want and you like a year in one pouch · £9.99: about 3p a day
the same tablet and the same label · 90 servings
Choose if three months at a time suits you · £5.99: about 7p a day
1 gummy · folic acid 400µg, 200% NRV · sugar-free
Choose if you want 400µg, the amount the NHS names for pregnancy · two months · £8.99: about 15p a day
1 tablet · folate 1,000µg as L-5-MTHF (calcium L-methylfolate), 500% NRV · coated tablet, vegan
Choose if you want folate in the methylfolate form · six months · £9.99: about 6p a day
the same amount of folate · 90 servings
Choose if you want to try methylfolate first · £5.99: about 7p a day
What is folic acid, and is folate the same thing?
Nearly. The NHS explains it in two sentences: “Folate is a B vitamin found in many foods. The manmade form of folate is called folic acid.” [2] You’ll also see folate called vitamin B9 [2].
The NHS adds that the body keeps no long-term store of folate, so it’s needed often [2]. L-methylfolate, printed on our other pouch as L-5-MTHF, is a third name on the shelf: it is another form of folate, the one most folate takes in food.
Folic acid benefits: the claims UK rules authorise
Every health claim on the Great Britain register passed a scientific review: independent scientists examined the research and the evidence behind it before it was authorised [1]. The law itself says that health claims shall be “based on and substantiated by generally accepted scientific evidence” [5].
Any supplement sold in the UK may only make health claims from a list authorised by law [1]. For folate, there are eight. Each one below is quoted word for word.
- Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.
- Folate contributes to normal blood formation.
- Folate contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Folate contributes to normal psychological function.
- Folate contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- Folate contributes to normal amino acid synthesis.
- Folate contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.
- Folate has a role in the process of cell division.
For pregnancy, there is one further claim, and it is specific to folic acid.
Folic acid for pregnancy: the one claim written for folic acid itself
One more claim belongs to folic acid supplements of at least 400µg, and it has to be given in full: “Supplemental folic acid intake increases maternal folate status. Low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing foetus.” [1]
The register adds who it is for: “The target population is women of child-bearing age and the beneficial effect is obtained with a supplemental folic acid daily intake of 400µg for at least one month before and up to three months after conception.” [1] Neural tube defects have multiple risk factors, and changing one of them may or may not have a beneficial effect. The claim is written for folic acid, so we don’t use it for our methylfolate tablets.
How to take folic acid tablets
The label says one tablet daily with water, and it names no time of day. Pick a time that you will remember each day, such as with breakfast, to make it a simple part of your routine.
One small tablet, one clear number
One small tablet a day, and one pouch covers a whole year at about 3p a day.
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Folic acid FAQs
1. What are the benefits of folic acid tablets?
Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy, to normal blood formation and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, among eight authorised claims [1]. The full list is in the claims section above, word for word.
2. Is folic acid 1000mcg too much?
It is exactly the 1mg a day that the NHS describes as unlikely to cause any harm, so it is the top of that range, not above it [2]. If a multivitamin or B complex is part of your day too, count the folic acid it gives alongside this tablet [2]. The label says the tablets are not suitable for use by children, and asks you to consult your doctor before use if you have a medical condition or take prescription medication [4].
3. Can I take these folic acid tablets for pregnancy?
The NHS recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid a day for pregnancy, from before conception until 12 weeks [2]. One of our tablets gives 1,000µg, which meets the register’s condition of at least 400µg a day for the folic acid pregnancy claim quoted above [1] [4]. Our L-methylfolate label asks you to consult a doctor first if you are pregnant [4].
4. Is folic acid 5mg available without a prescription?
Not from us. The NHS describes 5mg as a higher dose for some women with an increased risk, advised by a doctor, and it says to check with a pharmacist, midwife or doctor if you’re not sure which dose you need [2] [3].
5. What is the difference between folate tablets and folic acid?
Folate is the vitamin as it occurs in food, and folic acid is its manmade form [2]. On our shelf, the folic acid tablets hold folic acid and the L-methylfolate tablets hold folate as L-5-MTHF.
6. Can I take folic acid and B12 together?
Our labels say nothing against it, and our Vitamin B Complex capsules hold both: 200µg of folic acid and 25µg of vitamin B12 in each capsule [6]. For a closer look at B12 itself, read our vitamin B12 guide.
7. When should I take folic acid, morning or night?
The label names no time of day, only one tablet daily with water. Choose the time you are least likely to forget.
8. Are your folic acid tablets vegan?
Yes. The front of the pouch says vegan tablets, and the coating is hypromellose, which is plant-derived. Our L-methylfolate tablets are vegan too, which is why you’ll find both in our vegan range.
For the 400µg the NHS names for pregnancy, choose the Sugar-Free Folic Acid 400mcg gummies at about 15p a day. For 1,000µg in one small tablet a day, choose the Folic Acid 1000mcg tablets at about 3p a day, and if you’d rather have folate as methylfolate, choose the L-Methylfolate 1000ug tablets at about 6p.
Whichever you pick, you now know that µg, mcg and mg are one ruler, and which one fits your day.
References
Checked against the product labels, the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register and nhs.uk, September 2026.
[1] Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register, GOV.UK (folate and folic acid entries, authorised). Accessed 2026-09-20. View Source
[2] B vitamins and folic acid – NHS. Accessed 2026-09-20. View Source
[3] Folic acid (medicine) – NHS. Accessed 2026-09-20. View Source
[4] Alpha01. Folic Acid 1000mcg (365 and 90 tablets), Sugar-Free Folic Acid 400mcg (60 gummies) and L-Methylfolate 1000ug (180 and 90 tablets): pouch fronts, nutritional information panels, ingredients, suggested use, caution and prices. Accessed 2026-10-07. View Source
[5] Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, Article 6: scientific substantiation for claims, as it applies in Great Britain. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 2026-09-25. View Source
[6] Alpha01. MultiVitamin & Minerals (90 tablets), Women’s Multivitamins (90 tablets), Vitamin B Complex (180 capsules), B Complex (60 gummies) and Iron Complex 28mg (60 gummies): nutritional information panels. Accessed 2026-09-28. View Source
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