Statistically, upwards of 50% of us has a methylation problem. Thankfully, methylfolate can be taken as a supplement!
I’ve slowly figured out why I’ve had so many early miscarriages and multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) all my life. I react so fast to so many things and have had respiratory arrests (stopped breathing) and headaches/migraines with aura when exposed to simple things like car exhaust, mold, crop dust, grasses and perfumes. Brain fog and the feeling of slogging thru sand had become a regular part of my life. At 64, I am just really starting to grasp the connection to my lack of proper methylation.
When you have Lyme Disease (like I did) or an autoimmune disorder (like I did), you get to learn a whole new language when it comes to your health. I thank God He has given me a medical background and a love of researching, so I could figure this out.

Methylation Problem Linked to Long List of Conditions
You probably don’t think methylation applies to you, however, read on because knowing about methylation could save your life or vastly improve it. Your body’s cellular capability to methylate applies to innumerable foundational functions in your body such as: repairing DNA, thinking and processing information, turning on and off genes, getting rid of environmental toxins and fighting infections to name just a few.
Suzy Cohen, RPh explains it this way: “Methylation is a vital metabolic process that happens in every cell and every organ of our body a billion times per second, and is crucial to our survival and well-being. These methylation reactions manufacture things like CoQ10, melatonin, creatine, carnitine, phosphatidylcholine, and hundreds of other really important substances in the body. Methylation influences the production of ATP, which is the fundamental energy unit of the cell. If the cell can’t produce ATP, then there’s not going to be adequate energy in the body” – much like a car running out of gas.
Ability to methylate helps you process and rid both toxins and excess hormones.
Hormones are just one area (of many) affected
Take estrogen for example… you make it in your body, and you also get it from xenobiotics (estrogenic chemicals in plastics, shampoos, pesticides, etc.). If you don’t methylate estrogen correctly (a process which breaks down estrogen no longer needed by the body and allows it to become water soluble and eliminated) then you get serious hormone problems. Extra ‘bad’ estrogen floats around in the blood and the body won’t allow that to happen for very long, so it winds up being bound inside our tissue in the form of:
- Headaches with menses
- Heavy menses
- Fibrocystic Breasts (me)
- Endometriosis (me)
- Acne and unwanted hair growth
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (me)
- Uterine fibroids
- Extremely light and irregular menses (me in my infertile days)
- Insulin sensitivity (can’t lose weight)
And this is just what happens with poor methylation of one hormone – estrogen!
Each hormone or chemical the body can’t make or get rid of produces a similar list of resulting problems. (source)
Connection Between Methylation and the MTHFR Gene
Maybe you’ve suffered through multiple miscarriages. Or maybe with chronic migraine headaches, an autoimmune disease, irritable bowel syndrome or depression. Possibly your family has a history of heart attack or stroke… Perhaps your child or a sibling has autism. What do all these things have in common? Well, these are just some of the conditions linked to a faulty enzyme called MTHFR.
In 2003, the Human Genome Project (the first map of human genes) was completed. In that study, they discovered that an important gene towards our health and well-being, abbreviated MTHFR, was defective in a lot of people worldwide! Again, upwards of 50% of the population has this problem. These days, it’s possible to know what is happening in your body before health conditions develop through testing. This means that we can do something to prevent these conditions before they happen.
The MTHFR genetic mutation (think “Monday-Thursday-Friday”, hence M-TH-FR) is a fairly new buzzword and a lot is being said about it.
We usually think of genetic disorders as obvious conditions that require lifelong adaptations, but what about the less obvious genetic differences that influence not just the way we look, but the health conditions to which we are predisposed?
MTHFR is a genetic trait or mutation or snp (pron. ‘snip’) that can be identified with blood or saliva testing to see if it may be fueling conditions as diverse as the above.
Dr. Amy Yasko has now specified 5 biochemical pathways (cycles) that are intertwined in the Methylation Cycle. These pathways are ‘lined up’ in every cell of the body like in the image below.
The MTHFR enzyme is at a critical point in the methylation cycle, right in the middle of all these gears (see graphic above). If you have the MTHFR mutation, it causes a deficiency of methylfolate in your body, and thus a deficiency of glutathione, the master antioxidant and detoxifier.
(Please feel free to skip over the next bullet points if you are overwhelmed and continue at arrow).
What a mutated MTHFR gene does to you:
- It produces a defective MTHFR enzyme i.e. it functions less than optimally, such as performing at only 40% of its capacity, or 70% of its capacity. It can mean you won’t break down toxins well i.e. you could find yourself with high iron, or high copper, or high lead, or high mercury….etc. and have trouble detoxing.
- The defective enzyme doesn’t break down folic acid into methylfolate properly, which can cause high homocysteine. (We will come back to folic acid in a moment!)
- Homocysteine is poorly converted to glutathione, which (as I mentioned above) is your body’s chief antioxidant and detoxifier. You are then even more susceptible to stress and toxin buildup.
- Also, homocysteine is poorly converted to methionine, and less methionine can raise your risk of arteriosclerosis, fatty liver degenerative disease, anemia, increased inflammation, increased free radical damage… and you produce less SAM-e.
- Less SAM-e can increase depression.
- And more notably, an MTHFR defect can increase your risk of a variety of cancers. (source)
—-> Bottom line, folate (methylfolate) is required for the creation of every cell in your body, so if it is not available, you can imagine what a significant issue it would be.
But I’m taking Folic Acid, so I shouldn’t worry, right?
Sarah at the Healthy Home Economist tells us,”Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate. It is true that most of the medical community uses the terms folate and folic acid interchangeably, but they enter the metabolic cycle in different ways, and natural folate is easier for the body to access than the cheap synthetic version folic acid (source).
When people have the MTHFR gene mutation, they do not turn folic acid into folate. In addition, the folic acid plugs the receptor sites in cells with an unusable form for these people. With the unusable folic acid in the receptor cites, the body is prevented from being able to use the folate that they do consume through natural food.
Here is an example of a good raw prenatal vitamin with natural folate instead of synthetic folic acid.
So why is Folic Acid bad?
Sarah goes on to say, “So many people are taught that taking an excess of water soluble vitamins isn’t a bad thing because they will just be excreted in the urine if they’re not needed. But in the case of folic acid in the body of a person who cannot process folic acid into usable folate, the folic acid ends up in the bloodstream where it hogs the receptor sites on cells where folate is needed.” (source)
When unusable folic acid is blocking/hogging the receptor sites where real folate is needed, a folate deficiency occurs and the following can happen:
- Neural tube defects
- Recurrent miscarriages
- Midline defects including tongue tie (read more about folate and tongue tie here)
- Neurological problems
- Anxiety (many people don’t realize they have anxiety until starting folate and having it go way down)
- Growth problems
- Thyroid problems
- Anemia and more
Avoid processed foods as these are fortified with folic acid and this causes a burden in metabolism, especially for these folks with the genetic snp.
How we are Supplementing for Improved Methylation
Thankfully, methylfolate can be taken as a supplement! If you have an MTHFR snp you may need to take a supplement. However, dosing can be tricky. Not all people will respond the same with the same supplementation, so that is where testing comes in which I discuss below.
One of our children does very well taking Metagenics Glycogenics (for methylation), selenium, magnesium and zinc. No more migraines with aura even when she eats foods with additives/chemicals (which have always caused her to react) such as ‘natural flavors‘. She needs only 1 Glycogenics per day to stay migraine free.
Our son just started with 2 Methyl B Complete (AM and PM) per day and it’s too early to know. UPDATE: our son is experiencing less fatigue, gut and skin issues after 3 weeks of 2 per day.
I take Methyl B Complete (1-2 per day). This is not a recommendation, only what we are doing. We are each unique, so find a functional doctor or naturopath to find your right dosage. For much more on how supplements can dramatically help, read here.
Look for these Important Ingredients on Label:
High quality methylfolate supplements will be seen on a label as:
- 5 methyltetrahydrofolate
- 5 MTHF
- Quatrefolic
It should include more than just folate (5 methyltetrahydrofolate) and B12 (methylcobalamin) such as the ones we take above.
Should you Test your Methylation Genetics?
One option, especially if you’d like to find out about all of your genetic mutations and related nutrient needs, is to order a saliva test kit yourself online for $199 from 23andme. They will provide your “raw data” which you can then process through online programs such as Genetic Genie, Live Wello or Nutrahacker.
There’s also Max Gen Labs. They don’t save or sell your results. You get very easy to read results from them.
There is also testing through Dr. Amy Yasko and Holistic Health. It will analyze your specific DNA methylation genetics and tell you exactly which supplement(s) to take and how much. Very specific and pretty understandable. (I am not an affiliate).
We can further influence our Environment for Good
Not only do tangible factors like diet, sleep, and exercise affect your genes, so do intangibles like stress, your relationships with others, and your thoughts. We CAN influence how our genes affect us.
This is the emerging field of epigenetics, the science of how our environmental triggers influence, modify and regulate our gene activity. It can alter the way our genetic code is expressed. The genes can turn on, and they can turn off.
Genes are not necessarily our destiny, we can modify them through lifestyle changes.
Get further information here
“In every bone, joint, and muscle, sinew, gland, and blood vessel, you see the presence of a God working everything according to the design of infinite wisdom.” ~C.H. Spurgeon
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Jennifer
So interesting! I’m going to check some of the links you recommended! Thank you!
Priscilla
This is very interesting! I’d love to hear your opinion on some supplements that I’m taking that are fully methylated. Is there a way I can contact you personally?
Jacqueline
Priscilla, I wish I could talk with everyone personally, but that is impossible with family, farming, writing the blog and just life. I am sorry. What I would suggest is that you look at the ones I listed/linked in the post that we take. The ingredients are what we do because they are pretty wide in what needs to be covered for most people. Remember, though, that you are an individual and may have different needs than us. I added them as examples of good supplements. Compare what you are taking to the ones in my links. I hope that helps 🙂
Shannon
This is a fascinating article. What are your thoughts on supplementing glutathione since it seems to be so important and compromised by this mutation?
Jacqueline
Great question, Shannon,
I would have liked to address it in the post, but space prevented it. Here is answer in a nutshell:
(1) Glutathione is a highly important antioxidant in the human body with no significant promise for a dietary supplement due to rapid digestion.
(2) Its metabolite, L-cysteine, can increase glutathione in the body but consuming L-cysteine via glutathione is inefficient and costly.
(3) Provision of L-cysteine to within the cell is all that is needed to increase glutathione synthesis, and N-Acetyl Cysteine does this more reliably and more potently at a lower financial cost than glutathione. This is the N-Acetyl Cysteine I use – 1 in AM and 1 PM: http://amzn.to/2dGB3Gg
Still folate is the most important part of the whole methylation cycle in my opinion as it facilitates other things I haven’t even touched on here. I hope that helps!
Jeannette
Thank you for this very informative post! I have saved it to re-read (as it IS a lot of information!) and will also be sharing it with some relative who may also find it helpful.
Jacqueline
Jeannette, I’m so glad it is helpful! I researched for 6 months (and lived it ) to write that, by the grace of God!
Blessings, ~J
Jeannette
I recently was told that 23 & Me does not test for MTHFR. They probably used to, as my functional medicine MD had suggested this test also.
Jacqueline
Jeannette, Yes, they used to. I do not recommend testing bc of privacy concerns. Companies can’t keep your name, date of birth, social security number, or credit card info safe. And you don’t want to give them your DNA.
Also, how shady is it that these testing companies don’t even interpret their own results? You know why? Because they aren’t widely recognized as legitimate tests.
I recommend trying different supplements until you find one that works for you and giving it a month or so as a trial period. It is much less costly than paying for testing that doesn’t tell you the supplement to take after testing.
I will email you with the Methylated B supplement most are having success with – just 1 a day.
~Jacqueline
Flicka Johnson
One of the things I am concerned about is health during very troubled times. I read your post about methylation and I have some methylation capsules. How do you know if you are under or over methylated?
I have a dear friend that can use this information. Rebecca studies natural medicines. She likes the research you do about healing naturally. She has helped me a lot. I get to see her when I travel. She is between where I live and my home state.
I do not want to give her any information that is not correct. They have an organic farm.
Please tell me where to check on methylation over or under. Thank you. I will pass the information on. I need and she needs to be prepped. Flicka
Carole
Wonderful info! I am wondering if it is safe to take the methylation suppliment if you haven’t been tested for the MTHFR gene. In other words, is it safe to take if you DON’T by chance have the MTHFR mutation?
Jacqueline
Yes, Carole, it is “safe”. It is only a Methylated Vitamin B supplement. See the ingredient list on the ones I have listed near the bottom of the post. Also, if you are not clear in this, re-read the post.
There are many testing places (most of which sell your DNA info), but I don’t know of even one who will tell you the “patch” for you. What most people do is try one of them and you will know in 2-4 weeks if you are the same or feel much better. It is an obvious difference bc you begin to detox normally… also a big part of it is deleting added folic acid (look for it in processed food, bread, cracker ingredient lists)… it hogs the receptors of the Methylfolate pathway and prevents uptake of folate (which is the natural form of folic acid) which the body recognizes as useful.
Blessings,
Jacqueline