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MTHFR stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, which is the gene that codes for folate metabolism. It is estimated that 40-60% of people have one or more defects in this gene, and its effects can influence very many areas of health. MTHFR is a gene that is super important for the proper functioning or the methylation process. What is the methylation process? We need to crank out methyl groups to attach to enzymes in our body to propel healthful activities of all kinds. Those with MTHFR impairment have trouble keeping up, and this can negatively affect health in many ways. Here are some conditions of health that can be related to MTHFR problems:
Diabetes – Cancer – Pulmonary Embolism – Cleft Palate – Autism – Parkinson’s – Neural Tube Defects – Atherosclerosis – Immune Deficiency – ADD/ADHD – Multiple Sclerosis – Alzheimer’s – Dementia – Chemical Sensitivity – Congenital Heart Defects – Fibromyalgia – Depression – Alcoholism –
Addictive Behaviors – Insomnia – Down Syndrome – Chronic Viral Infection – Thyroid Dysfunction – Neuropathy – Migraine - Recurrent Miscarriages – Infertility – Anxiety – Schizophrenia – Bipolar Depression – Eating Disorders – OCD - Allergies – Asthma - Psoriasis – Crohn’s Disease - IBD –
Celiac Disease – Gluten Intolerance & Other Food Intolerance
Basically, methylation involves a person’s ability to metabolize dietary sulfur. The success of this process is dependent on successful conversion of inactive forms of folate and vitamin B12 to the active, methylated forms. Some 45-60% of our population does not do this well due to a genetic defect in the gene that codes for the enzyme MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) that is responsible for the conversion of inactive folate to the active.
Simply put, sulfur (I use MSM for this part of it because our soils and diets are very sulfur deficient) is broken down into methionine and cysteine, then converted to homocysteine. In the presence of active forms of B12 and folate, along with crucial cofactors such as B6 and all of the B-complex, zinc, selenium,
molybdenum, to name a few, methyl donors are created such as S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe).
This, in turn, breaks homocysteine back down into methionine, and the cycle continues over and
over using, each time, the methionine taken from the homocysteine.
During this process, as methionine is heading to start up its next cycle, glutathione levels arenaturally raised. Glutathione is the master detoxifier, master anti-inflammatory, and masterantioxidant, especially – but certainly not limited to – toxic metals such as mercury, aluminum,cadmium, etc.An analogy I use when describing methylation is thinking of it as having a software program on yourcomputer that constantly scans the hard drive for fragments, errors, etc., keeping it working atoptimum speed and efficiency. This is what methylation does for our DNA; constantly picking upon changes/mutations and then commanding programmed cell death in order to keep the damagedcells from replicating, as we see in cancer.
Describing methyl donors, such as SAMe and trimethylglycine, I compare them to fairies withwonderful wands that help create and then ignite neurotransmitters to “life,” which is whymethylation is so vital to mood and mental health. When people who do not methylate well aredepressed or anxious and prescribed antidepressants, the result is never stellar, because theneurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are in short supply and furthernot “ignited” by methylationI work with lots of people with MTHFR defects, and there are other common defects that also influence the vital process of methylation. Please see my informative video and PDF of the slide show below. You can see a very basic supportive methylation supplement protocol HERE.
Click the video above for my "Intro to MTHFR" presentation and the photo at right for the PDF that goes with it.
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