Testing your DNA can open many windows into pathways in
the body that may not be working as well as they should. Using this information properly can help you
feel better, and help some metabolic pathways work better than they have been.
Many people are having their DNA tested for MTHFR, one of
the genes responsible for methylating folic acid. Folic acid is necessary for human life, and
if you have the MTHFR C677T SNP, you probably are not methylating folic acid
efficiently.
The quick response to this gene SNP is to take a large dose of methyl-folate and many people feel better at first. But, there are a significant number of people who, after a few weeks or months of supplementing methyl-folate, start feeling worse.
How is this possible?
This nutrient is necessary for life, so why do some people who
supplement with a necessary nutrient feel worse?
To help explain this, you need to understand that genes, nutrients and their metabolic pathways are interconnected, and there are usually more than one gene SNP and pathway that is not working well. If you support just one area, that pathway works more efficiently, but pushes the problem further downstream to the next sub-optimal pathway.
Methylation Map
Looking at this diagram, you can see MTHFR (3) in the
middle of the picture. If there are SNPS
for MTR, MTRR, CBS, BHMT, MAT, DHFR, this can affect how the methyl-folate is
used.
If there are other areas that needs support, adding methyl-folate can lead to decreases in glutathione, increases in ammonia, glutamate, super oxide, peroxynitrate, decreases in neurotransmitters, nitric oxide and any combination of these, and this can lead to a decreased sense of well-being.
This helps explain why testing only one gene such as
MTHFR and not looking at the whole picture can lead to problems.
DNA testing and supporting the pathways are a great way to help understand where some imbalances may be, and to help correct the imbalances. Make sure you are working with a practitioner that looks at the whole picture and each part of the above diagram. The genetic report, along with lab tests, medical history, and symptomology should be put together to get a true picture of what needs to be done, and in what order. Sometimes labs such as NutrEval, Organic Acid test or Methylation pathway tests can be very helpful in understanding what is going on and what needs to be done.
Here is a short video that can help you understand that genetic testing and interpretation needs to be done completely, not just addressing one or two genes.
Click the image below to view the video.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
I am a registered pharmacist with a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine who provides in-depth consultative services at Johnson Compounding & Wellness.
My guiding philosophy is to treat the person as a whole, not to chase symptoms. I focus on finding the “why” to what is happening physically and mentally, and works with individuals to restore balance in the body.
Find out what a naturopathic consultation is all about. This short video will explain the differences between the traditional (main stream) approach and the naturopathic approach.
Consultations can be in person, by phone or over the internet by video.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
This short video recorded last year explains the benefits of probiotics during the cold and flu season. Dr. Gary also discusses other helpful hints to lessen your chances of getting sick this winter.
Flu season is upon us again. To prevent the flu, we’re told that the best remedy is to get a flu shot—a shot which is consistently ineffective, and, incredibly, still contains mercury in many cases. We at ANH-USA have been beating the drum about vitamin D and its well-documented anti-viral capabilities for years, and there is new evidence demonstrating vitamin D’s role in preventing respiratory infections. When faced with the choice of a cheap, safe, and effective natural immune defense against the flu, or an expensive, dangerous, and ineffective vaccine that makes drug companies billions of dollars—which will our crony health officials choose?
The study, which pooled data from 25 studies that included more than 10,000 participants, found that vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of respiratory infections (cold and flu) by 10 percent overall—and there are reasons to think this figure greatly understates the degree of protection. The protective effect of the sunshine vitamin was even more dramatic in those who were deficient. For the deficient, which about 40% of Americans are, the risk of infection was reduced by half with vitamin D supplementation.
