Do you suffer from any of these symptoms: fatigue, brain fog, pain, anxiety, insomnia, and don’t know why?
Inside every cell in your body, a complicated seven-cycle chemical reaction takes place billions of times per second. You need 20 enzymes for each step of this reaction to occur. You need the right genes in order to make those 20 enzymes. You also need co-factors, namely: vitamins and minerals, in order to enable those enzymes.
There are genetic variants, routinely called SNPs (snips) that influence our genes. One variant is MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reducatase). About 50% of the population has this genetic variant or chromosomal mutation. This enzyme is needed for methylation. Like all 20 other enzymes, MTHFR is needed or those 7-cycles get clogged up.
Why is methylation important? It is an essential process for optimal functioning of your body and your mind. Some processes it is involved in:
- cell regulation
- detoxification
- neurotransmitter formation
- metabolizing hormones
- DNA repair and synthesis
- keeping inflammation in check
- energy
- nerve myelination
Some symptoms of impaired methylation include:
- fatigue
- brain fog
- pain and inflammation
- anxiety
- depression
- insomnia
- infertility and miscarriage
- intolerance to exercise
Unfortunately, the list of symptoms associated with poor methylation is somewhat nonspecific, in that the same list of symptoms could be explained by several other causes. In fact, most of those symptoms could be tied to one’s gut health!
But methylation and whether you have the MTHFR variant is a very important piece of the puzzle; one that is worth knowing, for there is no way to deal with this problem other than with proper specific supplementation. It is important to supplement yourself with proper guidance, because it is possible to overmethylate, which can lead to other problems.
And don’t forget about those co-factors, the vitamins and minerals. Different ones are needed for different cycles, and there is also a test to see if you are deficient in any vitamins and minerals.
There is a simple blood test, that I offer through Spectracell to find out if you have the MTHFR SNP. And there is a saliva mail-in test through 23andme to find out all your other SNPs.
For more information on MTHFR visit here, and here.
It is important to note that this is new science and while it is widely accepted in the functional medicine world, conventional medicine doctors are either unaware of MTHFR or skeptical of its importance. This area does indeed need more research. Hopefully that research will happen in time.