MTHFR and Methylfolate

No one can buy a good health. You can take care of it through variety of things. It’s not mere a dialogue that health is wealth. It’s actually true. There are many things that can cause bad health one of them is MTHFR mutation. At first it looks like some kind of curse on someone but it’s different thing. It’s refers to a common genetic mutation. 

What MTHFR Is?

MTHFR is the name of a very important enzyme in the body which does several amazing things. MTHFR stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. The gene that produces this enzyme is called the MTHFR gene. 

What Does MTHFR Gene Mutation Do?

The MTHFR gene mutation restrains the way the body processes B vitamins and folic acid. And it can lead to high level of homocysteine in the blood and low level of other vitamins and folate which is not good for the body. 

What does MTHFR Do Inside The Body?

The MTHFR enzyme plays a crucial role in two very important cycles in our body, the folate cycle and the methylation cycle. 

Folate cycle converts the inactive folate or vitamin B9 from food to active folate.

On the other hand, in the methylation cycle the MTHFR enzymes helps convert a harmful amino acid homocysteine to another amino acid methionine that is useful for the body. Optimal methylation is required to turn off the bad effects of certain genes to prevent them from causing any trouble.

If the MTHFR enzyme doesn’t function well, it can lead to imbalances in the cycle which can be harmful for the body. Lower MTHFR levels can increase the risk of fatigue, heart diseases, infection, diabetes and migraines. 

It has been showed that many health issues are associated with MTHFR mutation. But with medical test you can find out whether you are affected by MTHFR mutation or not. Luckily there are many medicines or supplements are available to treat with this health problem.

Symptoms Of A MTHFR Mutation

Well symptoms of a MTHFR mutation vary variant to variant and from person to person. There aren’t specific symptoms of MTHFR gene mutation researchers are still working on it and they have claimed it that it is still evolving. 

Conditions That Are Associated With MTHFR Mutation

  • Thromboembolic and cardiovascular diseases like stroke, blood clots, heart attack and embolism
  • Colon cancer
  • Anxiety
  • Acute leukaemia
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Migraines
  • Chronic pain
  • Fatigue
  • Schizophrenia
  • Nerve pain
  • Miscarriages in women
  • Pregnancies with neural tube defects

Treatment Of MTHFR Mutation

If a person has very high level of homocysteine in his body there are several treatments that a person can avail such as

  • Lifestyle modifications like no smoking, healthy diet and keeping a person’s body physically fit.
  • Vitamin B supplements those shouldn’t be in a synthetic version
  • Multivitamins 

Is Methylfolate Good For MTHFR Gene Mutation?

 Yes, it is generally considered that methylfolate supplementation is good for those with MTHFR gene mutation. The reason why methylfolate is good, because it’s in an active form of folic acid and plays a vital role in converting homocysteine into methionine which is a harmless amino acid. Folic acid and methyfolate both are B 9 vitamins but one is in the synthetic form and other is in an active form. But the active form of B9 which is methylfolate is more efficient for the body than the synthetic one.

Conclusion

MTHFR gene mutation is a disease that inhibits the way the body processes B9 vitamins or methylation and folic acid. Due to MTHFR enzymes our body breakdown the homocysteine (amino acid) and folate. Amino acid’s work is to maintain the body’s cells but if your level of homocysteine is high it is just because of MTHFR gene mutation and it is harmful for your body. Folate, on the other hand, is the B9 vitamin needed to make white and red blood cells in the born marrow. Another work of folate is to convert carbohydrates into energy and produces RNA and DNA. MTHFR gene mutation disease should be treated with methylfolate supplements.