Methylation & MTHFR Mutation

How do you support people with MTHFR and other methylation variants at Collective Health Center?

In recent years, the concept of epigenetics has come up a lot in the health industry, especially related to methylation and MTHFR mutations. Epigenetics is the process of our genes adapting and changing based on outside factors such as diet and lifestyle choices. While we already have our genetic makeup directing what color hair we have, how our bodies will be formed, and so on, there are many factors that can actually alter our gene expression. Methylation, on the other hand, is the transfer of certain methyl groups – carbon and hydrogen compounds – onto the DNA. 

There is a specific gene in our body called the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) that is one of the genes that can impact our health and body composition. This gene may be the reason that some medicines simply don’t work for you, you are susceptible to chronic health problems, or even just the way your body functions. Alterations in the expression or the various methylation pathways due to mutations or variants can contribute to health problems. At least 40% of the population have some variant/mutation in one of their two MTHFR genes which can be a contributing factor in some underlying chronic health conditions including: cardiovascular and blood clotting diseases, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, colon cancer, acute leukemia, nerve inflammation and pain, neural tube defects, and migraines. 

Blood test options for MTHFR mutations allow us to consider how any variants might be impacting an individual’s body and contributing to imbalance. A few years ago MTHFR gene testing seemed to be all the craze, I had so many of my patients who already had or wanted to have these genes tested. While this is an option, these are just two genes of hundreds involved in methylation and, alone, do not necessarily inform the future of our health. Through a holistic approach, I am able to consider how some such methylation and genomic variants may change our health and work with ALL factors to help make you the healthiest version of yourself. 

Since these genes are also impacted by environmental factors, the foundation of our health heavily depends on our lifestyle. Even things such as our thoughts can influence methylation! Training or retraining our thought processes to be positive and not bogged down by the stress of the world really does help our genes function more optimally! The bottom line is that while genomic testing is now widely available to assess certain health risks, it is not just one or two methylation genes, supplements, or B-vitamins that will necessarily be the game changers in our health. There is no one MTHFR or methylation treatment, it’s truly the lifestyle optimization that is fundamental to our health. Knowledge is power and better understanding our genomic variants can provide helpful insights on optimizing our health in a personalized way.