MTHFR

[Acala]

So, MTHFR sounds like a portmanteau for an obscenity, but it actually refers to a human metabolic chemical and to certain genes that relate to the creation and use of that chemical.

It turns out that there is a common mutation of some of the genes that relate to the metabolic pathway for this chemical. If you happen to get the mutation of one of these genes from both parents, you might be more susceptible than average to a number of health problems. Skip down about a third of the way on this page and read about it: http://rawfoodsos.com/2014/12/05/my-...nt/#more-12570

Some problems that might be associated with this mutation include:

"Possible symptoms associated with A1298C MTHFR mutations:
•hypertension
•delayed speech
•muscle pain
•insomnia
•irritable bowel syndrome
•fibromyalgia
•chronic fatigue syndrome
•hand tremor
•memory loss
•headaches
•brain fog

Possible signs associated with A1298C MTHFR Mutations:
•elevated ammonia levels
•decreased dopamine
•decrease serotonin
•decreased epinephrine and norepinephrine
•decreased nitric oxide
•elevated blood pressure
•muscle tenderness
•ulcers
•pre-eclampsia

Possible conditions associated with A1298C MTHFR mutations:
•fibromyalgia
•chronic fatigue syndrome
•autism
•depression
•insomnia
•ADD/ADHD
•irritable bowel syndrome
•inflammatory bowel syndrome
•erectile dysfunction
•migraine
•Raynaud’s
•cancer
•Alzheimer’s
•Parkinson’s
•recurrent miscarriages"

[Suzanimal]

MTHFR sounds like a portmanteau for an obscenity

I didn't notice the sub forum, I thought it was going to be a rant.

[donnay]

I didn't notice the sub forum, I thought it was going to be a rant.

LOL! Me too.

[amy31416]

Woah. I'll have to read up on this--my father had Raynaud's, which ended up being a precursor to scleroderma, and he died due to complications from the disease.

Thanks for posting.

[donnay]

I found this interesting:

MTHFR Mutations For Dummies
Welcome to the step-by-step guide that explains how to test for and manage MTHFR mutations.

Testing for MTHFR Mutations...
Want to know if you have MTHFR mutations? Follow these three steps:

Step 1: Order a 23andMe DNA Test
Your first step is to purchase an at-home DNA test from 23andMe. The test cost just $99, and in addition to providing data for MTHFR analysis, you will receive comprehensive reports about your health and ancestry. The test is easy to do—you just spit in the collection tube that they send you and then mail it back.

Step 2: Genetic Genie Methylation Analysis
After you get your 23andMe results, go to Genetic Genie for free methylation analysis. Your methylation report will include your MTHFR results. This service is free but donations are encouraged.

Step 3: Interpreting Your Results
Your methylation report from Genetic Genie will show if you are homozygous (+/+), heterozygous (+/-), or do not have MTHFR mutations (-/-). A homozygous mutation means you have two copies of the mutation and puts you at highest risk for negative health effects. A heterozygous mutation means you have one copy and puts you at moderate risk. Having more than one type of MTHFR mutation will also increase your risk.


Managing MTHFR Mutations...
Want to know what to do about MTHFR mutations? Follow these three steps:

Step 1: Methylfolate & Methyl-B12

Methylfolate and methyl-B12 are the biologically active forms of folate and vitamin B12. If you have any of the MTHFR mutations, you require increased amounts of these vitamins and cannot readily utilize synthetic forms (folic acid and cyanocobalamin) found in many foods and supplements. You should consider taking methylfolate and methyl-B12 supplements instead.

Step 2: Epigenetics & Lifestyle

Epigenetics refers to how our lifestyle influences genetic expression. This means you can reduce the expression of MTHFR mutations by following a healthy lifestyle— namely, one that limits inflammation. This includes eating a healthy diet, exercising in moderation (but not excessively), and using relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga to minimize stress. Consider reading the short ebook Cold Dark Keto: Winter Simulation for Optimal Health by Steven Thomas, which explains critical aspects of a healthy lifestyle most people are missing. Mark Sisson’s books The Primal Blueprint and The Primal Connection are also useful resources for learning what a healthy lifestyle should look like.

Step 3: Epigenetics & Supplementation

In addition to healthy lifestyle practices, you can further control the epigenetics of MTHFR mutations with a supplementation regimen that keeps inflammation in check. The powerhouse in this category is ubiquinol, which is the reduced form of Coenzyme Q10 and acts as a potent antioxidant in the body. Other anti-inflammatory supplements to consider include curcumin and resveratrol. Additionally, many people are deficient in vitamin D, vitamin K2, and DHA/EPA, and require supplementation of these nutrients to achieve optimal epigenetic control of MTHFR mutations.

http://mthfrmutations.com/index.html#.VIH7fMmzLIW

[Acala]

Woah. I'll have to read up on this--my father had Raynaud's, which ended up being a precursor to scleroderma, and he died due to complications from the disease.

Thanks for posting.

Discovered today that I have the MTHFR mutation and a related mutation, MTR A2756G. Both homozygous. I will start taking methyl-B12 and methyl-folate as soon as I can get some. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Ronin Truth]

https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=ww&ei=efOBVINBxdiaBbfmgfgO&ved=0CAoQ1S4# q=human+genome+disorders


https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=ww&...evid=926476241

[amy31416]

Discovered today that I have the MTHFR mutation and a related mutation, MTR A2756G. Both homozygous. I will start taking methyl-B12 and methyl-folate as soon as I can get some. It will be interesting to see what happens.

I have some--Kludge got it for some of the reasons you listed, didn't seem to do much for him, but I'm going to try it. It's 5k mcg, which seems quite high--what dosage are you looking at?

[Acala]

I have some--Kludge got it for some of the reasons you listed, didn't seem to do much for him, but I'm going to try it. It's 5k mcg, which seems quite high--what dosage are you looking at?

I'm going for 5k of the methyl-B12 because I have both the MTHFR and the MTR mutations. Probably 1 mg of the methyl-folate.

[helmuth_hubener]

How would one get tested for this and how much would it cost, I wonder?

Really (because I have no reason to believe I nor anyone I know has this particular thing), I'm wondering how much genetic testing in general costs? In my experience (which consists of about one data point) it can be thousands of dollars. Is that true across the board?

I just know you're in medicine, Acala, and so can give a lot of insight into this stuff. I for one am really looking forward to molecular diagnostics (like gene-checking), because as Clayton Christensen put it: it turns out that there are only so many symptoms the human body has. It has a really limited vocabulary for saying there's something wrong, and what that something is. And so all the maladies had to get together and agree to share symptoms. So just going by the symptoms is trial and error. That's how diagnostic medicine works nowadays: trial and error. One thing doesn't work, OK, try another. Molecular will be much better. Look at the actual problem directly.

[evilfunnystuff]

How would one get tested for this and how much would it cost, I wonder?

Really (because I have no reason to believe I nor anyone I know has this particular thing), I'm wondering how much genetic testing in general costs? In my experience (which consists of about one data point) it can be thousands of dollars. Is that true across the board?

I just know you're in medicine, Acala, and so can give a lot of insight into this stuff. I for one am really looking forward to molecular diagnostics (like gene-checking), because as Clayton Christensen put it: it turns out that there are only so many symptoms the human body has. It has a really limited vocabulary for saying there's something wrong, and what that something is. And so all the maladies had to get together and agree to share symptoms. So just going by the symptoms is trial and error. That's how diagnostic medicine works nowadays: trial and error. One thing doesn't work, OK, try another. Molecular will be much better. Look at the actual problem directly.

From donnay's post above

Step 1: Order a 23andMe DNA Test
Your first step is to purchase an at-home DNA test from 23andMe. The test cost just $99, and in addition to providing data for MTHFR analysis, you will receive comprehensive reports about your health and ancestry. The test is easy to do—you just spit in the collection tube that they send you and then mail it back.

23andme is probly makin assloads of cash through bio-data-mining

[Zippyjuan]

23andMe won't give you info on your health data for your DNA anymore (they used to- they do provide the raw, uninterpreted data though) so you need to send the data to somebody else to find out any more info on that. they mostly interpret just the ancestry data now (I am curious and considering being tested).

[CPUd]

[donnay]

Start @44:00

ETA the 10 bad foods list:
Understanding the "10 Bad Foods" - with Dr. Glidden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2qCCTyTyPA

[amy31416]

From donnay's post above


23andme is probly makin assloads of cash through bio-data-mining

It's my understanding that most of 23andme got shut down by the guvmint.

[evilfunnystuff]

It's my understanding that most of 23andme got shut down by the guvmint.

Apparently the US did shut em down, but they just started back up in the UK.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/23-and-m...-banned-in-us/

And apparently it is a bio-data-mining operation

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...r-reasons-fda/

Sound paranoid? Consider the case of Google. (One of the founders of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, is presently married to Sergei Brin, the founder of Google.) When it first launched, Google billed itself as a faithful servant of the consumer, a company devoted only to building the best tool to help us satisfy our cravings for information on the web. And Google’s search engine did just that. But as we now know, the fundamental purpose of the company wasn’t to help us search, but to hoard information. Every search query entered into its computers is stored indefinitely. Joined with information gleaned from cookies that Google plants in our browsers, along with personally identifiable data that dribbles from our computer hardware and from our networks, and with the amazing volumes of information that we always seem willing to share with perfect strangers—even corporate ones—that data store has become Google’s real asset. By parceling out that information to help advertisers target you, with or without your consent, Google makes more than $10 billion every quarter.

What the search engine is to Google, the Personal Genome Service is to 23andMe. The company is not exactly hiding its ambitions. “The long game here is not to make money selling kits, although the kits are essential to get the base level data,” Patrick Chung, a 23andMe board member, told FastCompany last month. “Once you have the data, [the company] does actually become the Google of personalized health care.” The company has lowered the price of the kit again and again, most recently from $299 to a mere $99, practically making it a stocking-stuffer. All the better to induce volunteers to give 23andMe the data it so desperately wants. (Currently, the database contains the genetic information of some half a million people, a number Wojcicki reportedly wants to double by year end.)

[Acala]

23andMe won't give you info on your health data for your DNA anymore (they used to- they do provide the raw, uninterpreted data though) so you need to send the data to somebody else to find out any more info on that. they mostly interpret just the ancestry data now (I am curious and considering being tested).

Let's be clear, it was the FDA, part of the paternalistic government you support, that shut them down. Can't have anyone cutting into the doctor's monopoly. But you can still get the raw data and have it analyzed elsewhere. $99 for the test and much of the analysis is free.

[Acala]

It's my understanding that most of 23andme got shut down by the guvmint.

They still do the analysis, provide the raw data to you, and give you ancestry information. You can have the data analyzed on other sites. I have just begun to see what else is available.

[youngbuck]

I'm going for 5k of the methyl-B12 because I have both the MTHFR and the MTR mutations. Probably 1 mg of the methyl-folate.

As you may know, those are high doses. Not something I would recommend for the long term. Maybe 2-3 months to fix the deficiency and get the methylation cycle working well, then drop down to 1mg methyl-12 and 400-600mcg of methyl-folate as a maintenance dose.

[Acala]

As you may know, those are high doses. Not something I would recommend for the long term. Maybe 2-3 months to fix the deficiency and get the methylation cycle working well, then drop down to 1mg methyl-12 and 400-600mcg of methyl-folate as a maintenance dose.

I'm winging it based on cursory research. :-) I started two days ago with 2000mcg of methyl-12 and 1000mcg of methy-folate (which are single tablets of commercially available supplements) and am watching for any effects, good or bad. I would be interested if you could direct me to any further information including signs of overdose? Thanks!

[Acala]

I just know you're in medicine, Acala, and so can give a lot of insight into this stuff.

For the record, I was once (long ago) a medical toxicologist and wore a white lab coat for a few years, but that's as close as I ever got to being "in medicine". Now, sadly, I sit behind a desk, push papers around, and argue about other people's money, far away from the lab. But I do treat myself as something of a lab rat, trying to optimize health and happiness experimentally.

[amy31416]

For the record, I was once (long ago) a medical toxicologist and wore a white lab coat for a few years, but that's as close as I ever got to being "in medicine". Now, sadly, I sit behind a desk, push papers around, and argue about other people's money, far away from the lab. But I do treat myself as something of a lab rat, trying to optimize health and happiness experimentally.

A good friend of mine used to do that paper pushing thing, he has a PhD in biochem, worked for a patent firm in DC. Now he teaches kiteboarding in South America.

[Acala]

A good friend of mine used to do that paper pushing thing, he has a PhD in biochem, worked for a patent firm in DC. Now he teaches kiteboarding in South America.

I'm almost done with it. And then there are a few places on the planet I want to see. :-)

[amy31416]

I'm almost done with it. And then there are a few places on the planet I want to see. :-)

Yeah, his life scenario kinda reminds me of the path you're on. He also happens to be the first libertarian I ever met and discussed things in-depth with, prior to that, I was completely apolitical.

[Zippyjuan]

Apparently one of the things they do with the data is to try to get health surveys from people they test and compare others with same problems and their DNA to try to identify more DNA/ disease links.

[helmuth_hubener]

For the record, I was once (long ago) a medical toxicologist and wore a white lab coat for a few years, but that's as close as I ever got to being "in medicine". Now, sadly, I sit behind a desk, push papers around, and argue about other people's money, far away from the lab. But I do treat myself as something of a lab rat, trying to optimize health and happiness experimentally.

Ahh, OK, my mistake.

It sounds like this test you did was significantly less than thousands of dollars, though, so that kind of answers my question. I guess it just depends on what type of genetic condition they're testing for how expensive it will be. Sometimes, $10,000, sometimes, $99.

[Acala]

Apparently one of the things they do with the data is to try to get health surveys from people they test and compare others with same problems and their DNA to try to identify more DNA/ disease links.

Evil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!