More and more of my patients are becoming familiar with the term methylation. This is usually secondary to someone running an abreviated genetics test looking at the 3 most common methylation mutations; comt, 1298 and 677, looking for a reason that may be causing depression, etc. Why is methylation important? Methylation is required for:
energy (CoQ10, carnitine, creatine and atp via the krebs cycle.
Bile production
Nerves (myelination (insulates the nerves)
Building and maintaining cell membranes
Generating and degrading neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine.
Generating purines for new DNA and RNA
Generating SAMe (depression)
Performing Phase II liver conjugation of heavy metals, hydroxyestradiols, norepi, epi, histamine, etc.
Neurological healing
Addressing inflammation
Memory
Sleep
7 signs you may need methylation support: (Methylfolate and methyl B12/Methyl B complex by Ortho)
brain fog after eating
Redfaced after excercising
Low energy
MTHFR mutation or high homocysteine
Stress
Increased estrogen
Trouble falling asleep.
Genetic predisposition which can be triggered by live viral vaccines, severe infections, environmental toxins, dietary, allergies, trauma, surgery, emotional and growth
Depression; An article from the American Journal of Psychiatry ran a double blind study (the best)
Other risk factors include; Elderly, vegetarians, GI disorders, bariatric surgery patients, eating disorders, Pregnant women with hyperemesis
Depression: Many of my patients present with depression and are frequently on psychotropics (antidepressants). We live in a high stress environment and combined with daily stressors no surprise. The other cause (very common, i.e. up to 70% of people have an MTHFR homozygous mutation (thanks mom and dad) is genetics. (There is a wonderful genetics test looking at all potential mutations not just methylation). A study in the American Journal of psychiatry concluded that, L-methylfolate (in Methyl B complex by Ortho) "may constitute an effective, safe, and well tolerated treatment strategy for patients with major depressive disorder who have a partial or no response to SSRIs."