COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 198
● When managing conditions such as cardiovascular disease,
anxiety, depression, ADHD, or chronic fatigue.
● To guide personalized nutritional support based on
methylation-related nutrient needs (e.g., B vitamins, folate).
● As part of a root-cause approach for patients with hormone
imbalances, toxin exposure, or autoimmune risk.
Efficient methylation, driven by the MTHFR enzyme, plays a vital
role in key bodily processes such as DNA repair, detoxification,
neurotransmitter synthesis, and the regulation of homocysteine
levels.
Although awareness of methylation is increasing, it remains widely
misunderstood, often resulting in misguided supplement use.
Role of the MTHFR Gene
The MTHFR enzyme transforms dietary folate (vitamin B9) into its
active form, 5-MTHF, which is essential for recycling homocysteine
into methionine. Genetic variants like C677T and A1298C can
hinder this process, potentially leading to elevated homocysteine
levels and a greater risk of disease.
In fact, a lot of things can affect how well your body handles
methylation, including your genes, what you eat, and your overall
lifestyle. One gene that plays a big role is called MTHFR. It helps
make an enzyme your body uses to process folate (a form of
vitamin B9), which kicks off the methylation process.
This process is super important for keeping your homocysteine
levels in check and for things like hormone balance and detoxing.
Some people have variations in the MTHFR gene that can slow all
of this down, making them more likely to have high homocysteine,
sluggish detox, and low levels of key B vitamins.
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