MTHFR. What About It?
Know you have MTHFR? It may not be as big a deal as you’ve worried about.
Don’t know your MTHFR status? It may be worth knowing.
MTHFR stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. You can see why it gets abbreviated.
It is an enzyme that plays a very important role in your body.
If you “have MTHFR” what does that mean?
It means you have a mutation, or tiny change, in the gene that tells your body how to make this enzyme, MTHFR. This mutation can cause trouble for your health if you aren’t aware of it and don’t know what to do about it.
MTHFR is essential for a process called methylation. Methylation is the act of a single carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms (a methyl group) attaching to another molecule.
Stick with me here. We’ll get through the science and get on to the more interesting stuff.
When a methyl group is added or removed, it triggers that molecule to perform a specific action. It is like lots of tiny on and off switches in your body.
Methylation is a big deal. These on and off switches control everything from your brain chemistry to your immune system.
Methylation happens about a billion times per second in your body. Every cell uses methylation. It impacts nearly every bodily function.
Methylation plays a major role in:
Cellular repair
Production and repair of DNA and RNA
Regulation of gene expression
Neurotransmitter production
Healthy immune system function
Formation and maturation of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
Detoxification of heavy metals, chemicals, and hormones (think estrogen dominance)
Glutathione production (important antioxidant and part of detox cycle)
Histamine breakdown
Conversion of homocysteine into methionine
Activation of B vitamins
But, what if you don’t methylate well?
- Autism
- Tongue tie, cleft palate/lip in offspring
- Scoliosis
- Addictions: smoking, drugs, alcohol
- Down syndrome
- Frequent miscarriages
- Male and female infertility
- Pulmonary embolism and other blood clots
- Depression and anxiety
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Chemical sensitivity
- Parkinson’s disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Stroke
- Spina bifida
- Migraines
- High homocysteine
- Breast cancer
- Atherosclerosis
- Alzheimer’s
- Multiple sclerosis
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Autoimmunity
- Gastrointestinal issues
How would you know if you don’t methylate well without waiting until you have one of these?
There are a couple of easy ways to get an idea of your personal methylation status.
1) You can get your full genetic profile here. This will tell what SNPs you have. Gene mutations are called SNPs, which stands for single nucleotide polymorphisms. You can see if you have the SNP’s for MTHFR. They are C677T and A1298C. You can be heterogeneous or homogenous for either or both.
If you have any of the SNPs for MTHFR it means you MAY not methylate well.
Notice, I did not say that you do not methylate well. You cannot know that just based on having the SNPs.
Genes do or don’t get turned on by our environment. This includes the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, what we ingest, how we handle stress, and how well we sleep.
I definitely see people who have MTHFR, but methylate well. I also see plenty of women who have multiple signs of poor methylation but have no idea what MTHFR or methylation is.
The moral of this story… Please, do not take high dose supplements just because you have the SNPs for MTHFR. Find out what your actual methylation status is.
2) Whether you know your genetics or not, it is quite easy to get an idea of your methylation with a simple blood draw. There are multiple blood markers that all together can give us a good idea of whether you are methylating sufficiently or if you might need support.
There is also a dried urine test that gives great information about methylation. It is called DUTCH testing. It also gives detailed information about cortisol and hormone levels, and hormone detoxification.
Either way, if testing indicates poor methylation, we will focus on foods and actions to support methylation. If necessary, we will use some basic vitamin supplementation to help you get caught up.
If you, or a close family relative, have any of the following conditions you may benefit from determining your methylation status and following up accordingly:
ADD/ADHD
Addiction
Allergies
Alzheimer’s Disease
Anxiety
Asthma
Autism
Behavioral disorders
Bipolar disorder
Cancer
Chemical sensitivity
Chronic fatigue
Cleft palate
Dementia
Depression
Diabetes
Downs syndrome
Fertility issues
Fibromyalgia
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Insomnia
Multiple sclerosis
Neuropathy
Parkinson’s Disease
Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy
Schizophrenia
Thyroid disease
Proper methylation can prevent midline congenital defects. These are defects along the midline of the body that occur during development. They include tongue-tie, cleft lip and cleft palate, and neural tube defects like spina bifida.
Poor methylation is also associated with autism, ADD/ADHD, behavioral disorders and schizophrenia.
Simple steps you can take to support methylation:
Detox - infrared sauna, epsom salt baths, dry skin brushing, regular exercise or sweating
Avoid exposure to environmental toxins
Remove mercury fillings with a trained biological dentist
Avoid aluminum exposure in antiperspirants or cookware
Avoid heavy metal exposure
Use natural cleaning and beauty products – see EWG
Toxins that animals are exposed to can be passed to you when you eat them. Eat grass-fed and organic when possible.
Eat sufficient protein – at least ½ gram per pound body weight
Eat eggs and liver for choline
Consume bone broth regularly for glycine
Eat leafy greens for natural folate
Avoid foods/vitamins w folic acid – requires methylation to convert to folate, can result in buildup of folic acid which is assoc with cancer
Avoid drugs that deplete or block absorption of folate or B12 such as birth control pills, proton pump inhibitors, antacids, metformin and cholesterol binding drugs, or support methylation while you are on it.
Lastly, supporting healthy methylation is an important anti-aging strategy, since methylation capacity declines as we age.
If you would like to dive more deeply into MTHFR and methylation I recommend the following resources:
If you would like to check your methylation or determine if your symptoms are related to insufficient methylation, get in touch. I would be happy to help.