The Importance of Methylation

Written by Anna Rider, NP

Methylation is a key biochemical process that occurs in the cells of the body.  It takes place over a billion times per second and its functioning is critical to our health and prevention of disease.

I really like the description that Dr. Braly and Dr. Holford give: “It is like one big dance, with biochemicals passing methyl groups from one partner to another” (The H Factor, Dr. James Braly and Patrick Holford).  

Although this process sounds really simple, if it isn’t working properly, it can lead to a myriad of diseases.  Scientists are currently studying the link to cancer, lupus, birth defects, infertility, cardiac disease, mental health disorders, sleep disorders, hormonal imbalances, problems with detoxification  and so on.

One of the main reasons methylation is so important is because it is involved in how our DNA is expressed.  The DNA in our cells contain genetic material (genes) and these genes have a function.  Methylation controls genetic function.  So what this means is that methylation might stop a tumour-causing gene from “turning on” and thereby preventing cancer.  

There is a well-known gene called MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase). It is responsible for converting folic acid (from enriched foods) into the body’s most usable form (methylfolate).  If we have a deficiency or mutation in this gene, we will have trouble methylating folic acid and have low levels of bioavailable folate in our body.  This can be detrimental as folate is needed to make healthy red blood cells, to prevent neural tube defects in the developing fetus, to recycle homocysteine (an amino acid, which can cause harm if elevated) into methionine, another essential amino acid).  This process needs to be working well for us to detoxify properly, make enough carnitine, balance our neurotransmitters and so on.  

There are many benefits to knowing how well you methylate, as mentioned above.  I believe this is critical especially if you have a strong family/personal history of cancer, heart disease, mental health disorders or infertility.  By working on improving your methylation you could help to prevent disease from occurring. Who doesn’t want that?  

Several signs that you may need methylation support include: mood and mental health issues like anxiety/depression; low energy/fatigue; trouble falling asleep; hormonal imbalances like PCOS, PMS, Fibroids; infertility issues in male/female, history of miscarriage/preeclampsia; cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure/poor circulation; allergies and histamine intolerance; memory problems; brain fog after eating; poor bile production leading to digestive issues; and autoimmune conditions such as autoimmune thyroid/rheumatoid arthritis. 

To find out about your methylation status, you can do a blood test to check your methylation ability (this is a specialty test) or you can measure homocysteine which can give you an idea as well.  Knowing what your folate and vitamin B12 levels are can be helpful but these are not direct measurements by any means.  Some people will choose to do genetic testing to determine if they have a faulty MTHFR gene, for example, however I always recommend they work with a practitioner in interpreting the results. 

For more information on methylation, read Dr. Ben Lynch’s book called Dirty Genes.  Instagram: @drbenlynch.  He is a methylation expert!

To learn more about your own methylation ability, or to have testing done, please book an appointment with Anna Rider NP to discuss this important process and what you can do about it.  Thanks for reading!