What if many of our modern day health issues are not illness and disease per se; but problems with nutritional deficiency. I listened to a podcast recently where a human biologist used the analogy of a tree that has a problem with its foliage. The horticultural expert goes straight to the soil and tests the soil for nutrient deficiency, it doesn’t try to fix the leaves of the tree. They go to the cause, not the effect to create a remedy.
It is now possible to test for genetic nutritional imbalances. Could this possibly revolutionize your health?. For this discussion we are going to look at the MTHFR gene which is responsible for the ‘methylation pathways’ concerning Folic acid.
SO WHAT IS FOLIC ACID?
Folic Acid is the synthetic laboratory man-made version of Folate B9, a vitamin found in leafy greens, grass fed meats, eggs, fish, and wholegrains. You cannot find folic acid in nature anywhere. Our bodies have to convert (metabolise) this raw material to something called Methylfolate 5-MTHF before it can be used effectively. This process is called methylation. Methylation is the conversion needed for all processes in the body both mental and physical.
Methylfolate 5-MTHR is one of our most important nutrients and its major functions are:
· Increased production of red blood cells
· The production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine
· DNA repair
· assists the detoxification process in the body
· regulates homocysteine -- an amino acid that is used to make proteins.
· improves the intestinal motility of your gut.
Here is the interesting part that made me dig further.
It is quite possible to have a MTHFR genetic nutritional imbalance as research has shown that 40% of the population cannot metabolise natural folate B9 and/or folic acid into this usable form 5-MTHR. This is caused by a genetic defect of the gene known as MTHFR which is responsible for this conversion.
Without this conversion you will have a folate deficiency in the body and an excess in the nutrient you can’t process which will potentially clog up your receptors. The implication here is that if you have this gene mutation it is better that you avoid synthetic folic acid in ‘fortified’ foods. A pub med document has reported that excess folic acid is being found in the plasma and they have no idea what the long term health issues might be (see references).
While most people won’t have any issue consuming enough folate, especially if they are eating a healthy balanced diet, a mutation in the MTHFR gene can completely change the amount of Methylfolate being produced in the body. Taking Methylfolate 5-MTHR directly is the easiest way to get the proper form of active folate into the body’s cells. This can be achieved by taking a Multi B Vitamin Supplement that has ‘methylated folate’ NOT ‘folic acid’. It is a water soluble vitamin so does not require food when you take it.
There are two well-known variants to the MTHFR gene mutation, (as well as others) with nearly half of the population having at least one of the two well-known variants (and 12% having both) it leaves a lot of questions. People with both variants may be at a higher risk of undiagnosed potential health issues.
It is now possible to have a genetic test for the five key genes that effect our nutritional imbalances. They are MTHFR, MTRR, MTR, AHCY, COMT
You only need to do it once in your lifetime, as any mutation will never change. The relevant nutritional deficiencies associated with each five of these genes is not up for discussion here but are worth knowing about. For example the COMT mutation will affect sleep patterns, and can be easily solved with the right supplements. The MTR and MTRR may play a role in high blood pressure issues.
Armed with this knowledge it begs the question; what raw material could be missing from the human body that is causing the illness? Could it be that nutrient deficiency due to a gene mutation in one of these five genes is the root cause of a health problem?
Methylated Multi Vitamins appear to support the basic needs to create methylation in the body and if you can’t make the conversions it affects all aspects of health. Even if you choose not to do the genetic test it would be worth adding a methylated multi vitamin supplement to your health protocols, and then monitor your own bodies response.
One important factor came up in the research for this article. Make sure any supplement you take has only B12 Methylcobalamin. There are a lot of supplements on the market that use Cyanocobalamin which is a synthetic form of Vitamin B12, and it is a cyanide based element. Yes…you read that correctly. Take a look at this pub chem document, section 5.3 Hydrogen Cyanide ‘read more’ and read what it has to say.
I have personally just binned two B12 supplements my husband was using that are popular brands, and double checked the multi sold on our website, (which is exactly how it should be) and the one I use myself.
The United States of America have been spraying folic acid on their crops (vegetables and grains) since the 1990’s. In New Zealand since 1996 it was voluntary for bakers to add Folic Acid to their bread and in 2023 the government followed the Australian approach and made it mandatory for bread makers to use ‘fortified wheat flour’ containing Folic Acid when making bread.
When our Government Health Agencies decide to add extra’s to our food it is called ‘fortification’. It may also be called ‘enriched’.
Here is some of the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries page info:
Some types of flour do not need to be fortified. They are:
wheat flour for organic bread
flour made from other grains (eg: rice flour)
wheat flour not specifically intended for breadmaking (such as for biscuits, cakes, pastry and pizzas).
This provides a choice for consumers who don't want to consume foods fortified with folic acid. Food manufacturers can choose to add folic acid to other foods.
This includes:
breakfast cereals
fruit and vegetable juices
milk alternatives, like soy milk
food drinks (such as liquid meal supplements)
gluten-free breads (for example, non wheat-flour bread)
If folic acid has been added, it will be on the product's ingredients list. Food makers can list this as folate or folic acid. (Note that it can be called either of the two names, however it is unlikely that it will be methylfolate).
It will sometimes be on the nutrition information panel.
The reason the Health Agencies have chosen to add folic acid to our food is to help reduce neural tube defects in pregnant women, and their statistics are saying it is making a difference. What makes this challenging is that we are not all pregnant women. With this information about genetics it begs the question how does this effect pregnant women if they are supplementing with folic acid and have the gene mutation?
Europe does not spray folic acid on its grains and many people will find they don’t get gut issues from eating pasta and bread in European countries. I have heard many conversations on the street about how different it is in Europe from people who have spent time in both hemispheres.
Here is a simple test you can do for yourself and with your children as well.
Pasta, rice, grains, cereals – switch out to Organic for two weeks and watch the difference.
Watch the mood, focus, concentration, short term recall, sleep pattern at night, and gut motility.
What I hope anyone reading this can take with them is this….if you have a long term health condition is it possibly time to look at the soil instead of the leaves for a solution?. It could be as simple as getting a nutritional gene test and/or switching to a high quality ‘methyl’ based multi vitamin as a part of your daily routine.
Research links:
For gene testing I have spoken to both these contacts personally. Prices vary depending on what you are wanting to test for. Practitioner's are available country wide who can arrange for these tests.