Living With MTHFR | Mastering Nutrition #37

MTHFR is an enzyme that allows folate (vitamin B9) to support the cellular process of methylation, which is important for the synthesis of creatine and phosphatidylcholine, the regulation of gene expression, neurotransmitter metabolism, and dozens of other processes. There are two common polymorphisms that decrease its activity, A1298C and C677T, with C677T having the stronger effect. Genetic decreases in MTHFR activity are associated with cardiovascular disease, neurologic and psychiatric disorders, pregnancy complications and birth defects, and cancer.

While discussions of these polymorphism tend to focus on repleting methyl-folate, this should only be a small piece of the puzzle. The bigger pieces of the puzzle are restoring choline, creatine, and glycine. 

In this episode, I describe how the methylation system works, how it's regulated, and how it's altered with MTHFR variations. I then use this to develop a detailed dietary strategy and an evaluative strategy to make sure the dietary strategy is working.

Show notes coming soon!

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Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/046-living-with-mthfr

Chris Masterjohn, PhD, is the Founder and Scientific Director of the mitochondria test Mitome.