It’s considered to turn on and off genes, build neurotransmitters (our calming mechanisms in our bodies), process hormones, build immune cells, produce energy, protect our nerves and build and maintain cell membranes. It occurs every second of every minute of every day and our bodies do it naturally; unless there are disruptions.
‘It’ is better referred to as methylation. In short methylation translates in the biochemical world as the addition of a single carbon group with three hydrogens onto a compound. In lay terms, methylation is a healthy process in which certain chemicals are being donated to DNA, proteins and other molecules. Methylation is one of four means to protect our DNA. If we don’t have methylation, our body stops functioning and we die. It’s truly remarkable that the human body creates this process and does it as well as it does for the majority of us.
Some of you may ask, ‘what does methylation have to do with me’? The answer is ‘it depends’ on whether your body is symptomatic or not and whether it needs more than fundamental supports in the areas of hormones, immune, digestion and detoxification. Methylation is also highly dependent on two factors: genetic disposition and the environment.
Methylation is required to recycle homocysteine to methionine, an essential conversion for the performance of neurotransmitters. It supports a healthy hypothalmus pituitary adrenal axis (adrenal fatigue?); supports the conversion from norepinephrine to epinephrine (adrenaline); and critical for detoxification. All of these critical processes are necessary to support the body’s built in calming mechanisms. AND if methylation is “turned on”, the detoxification pathways become blocked. The consequences of impaired methylation can be neurological.
When my son was “ill” (is how I now refer to that time) he was identified as heterozygous for one mutation, the C677T. I met with a group of genetecists. They denied there was an association between his seizures and this variance. This was in 2010. Today, medical research is surfacing that shows a correlation between the methylation and seizure disorders.
These are a couple of journals that substantiate that ” MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of epilepsy”.
As important as it is to understand if you or your child has this variance, it’s more important to understand if it’s expressing. Various markers in lab tests can help with the diagnosis. It’s important to note that even though MTHFR expressions can be supported nutritionally, it can also “lift the detoxification block” and create over-methylation and an increase in seizures. We experienced this personally with my son. His seizures increased when we attempted to support methylation (Note: we did not sequence and titrate the supplementation: a practice I’m very cautious applying a “go low, go slow” approach). As a “back door” approach, we SLOWLY supported his detoxification pathways. His seizures decreased daily and ultimately ceased.
Be well,
Lynn
