Testing for MTHFR Mutations
Amy Myers @ 2024-09-15 23:07:09 -0500In my Part I of MTHFR mutations, I discussed what they are, why they matter, and how they’re connected to autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s, Graves’, and thyroid dysfunction.
In this article, we dive right into the importance of MTHFR tests. Most importantly, we discuss what you can do to minimize the impact of any MTHFR mutations on your health. This information, in addition to my top recommendation for anyone with the MTHFR mutation, Methylation Support®, will help you support your methylation and detoxification pathways.
My motto is knowledge is power, and understanding your MTHFR status by taking an MTHFR test is an empowering tool to take back your health!
The MTHFR Gene Mutation Test
I strongly recommend that everyone gets an MTHFR test, especially women of childbearing age. MTHFR has been found to increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects, including Spina Bifida. Getting an MTHFR test is equally important if you have a history of Hashimoto’s, Graves’ or any other autoimmune disease, as MTHFR contributes to those conditions as well.
Additionally, I encourage those who have newborns or young children to have them tested for MTHFR mutations. Determining which vaccines your child receives and when they receive them is a personal choice. Knowing your child’s MTHFR status, and how the vaccines may impact their health, is an important part of the decision. As a mother, making sure Elle got an MTHFR test was high on my priority list.
This theoretical illustration of how MTHFR mutations affect your ability to detoxify demonstrates why it is so important for you to know your MTHFR status.
Available MTHFR Tests
Lab testing to check for MTHFR mutations used to be costly, and required a prescription and a blood sample. However, genetic MTHFR mutation testing is now much more affordable, accessible, and convenient.
23andMe
There is an MTHFR test from 23andMe that many of the patients from my clinic used. 23andMe can be ordered online, does not require a physician’s prescription, and tests for hundreds of SNPs: biological markers that help us locate genes associated with disease.
Unfortunately, 23andMe’s MTHFR test results come in a raw data format. This means you need another tool or service to get a readout of your MTHFR gene test status and the other SNPs they test for.
Dnalife®
I discovered a company called dnalife® that offers genetic SNP testing with just a mouth swab instead of saliva samples (which is much easier for babies—it’s what I used for Elle). The test checks for fewer SNPs than 23andme yet delivers all of the data in a format that you or your doctor can easily interpret. This option usually requires a functional medicine physician to order it for you.
As a favor to me, dnalife® agreed to let you order your own MTHFR gene test without a doctor’s order. If you want additional SNPs, you need to ask your functional medicine doctor to order that for you.
MTHFR Blood Test
You, of course, can always ask your primary care physician to order an MTHFR blood test for you. Although, most insurance companies do not cover this type of MTHFR gene test, and may leave you with an $800-$1,000 bill.
Homocysteine Test
A less expensive MTHFR gene test typically covered by insurance is a homocysteine test. This MTHFR test is run by your doctor, however because a homocysteine test is less definitive, the results are not as comprehensive.
Homocysteine Levels
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an enzyme that works as a catalyst for important biochemical reactions in your body. It converts vitamin B9 (folate) into methyl-folate, which is essential for a process called methylation.
Methylation protects your body by repairing damaged cells and optimizing DNA cell function. It also processes toxins and hormones, metabolizes B vitamins, and regulates neurotransmitters. However, one of the most important tasks methylation performs is turning homocysteine into methionine. Methionine builds proteins, repairs cells, detoxifies, supports your inflammatory response, and helps your liver process fats.
When you have an MTHFR gene mutation, and your homocysteine levels are unbalanced, your ability to methylate is affected. A homocysteine test will be able to show how your homocysteine levels compare to optimal levels, which are 6.9 umol/L.
High Homocysteine Levels
Those with high homocysteine levels are at an increased risk for heart disease. That’s because the overproduction of homocysteine can build up in your arteries, damaging your arterial lining and increasing your chances of developing blood clots. High homocysteine levels can also negatively impact your blood pressure, mental health, and mood, and ability to naturally detoxify.
If your homocysteine test results show that your homocysteine levels are above 10 umol/L, you have one MTHFR mutation. If your homocysteine test results are above 18 umol/L, you likely have two or more gene mutations.
Low Homocysteine Levels
On the flip side of that, low homocysteine levels such as 2 or 4 umol/L can indicate that you are not methylating or you are over methylating. Both undermethylation and over methylation are problematic.
How to Overcome MTHFR Mutations
So you’ve taken an MTHFR test and discovered you have one or more MTHFR mutations, and you might be feeling as though your genes control your destiny. I get it, trust me, I do. After taking multiple MTHFR tests, I discovered that I have two mutations at C677T, and my ability to methylate based on my genes was cut down to 10%. It’s likely one of the reasons I developed Graves’ disease. The truth is that by following the same simple steps I used, you too can work around your genes and get your body methylating in an optimal range.
1. Supplement with Pre-Methylated B Vitamins
MTHFR mutations reduce your ability to methylate, so one of the best things you can do is supplement with the three main vitamins needed for methylation. Folate in its pre-methylated form (5MTHF), B6 in its active form, and B12 in its active form.
I take a supplement called Methylation Support® every day. It contains all three of those essential B vitamins. I recommended this supplement to all of my patients with MTHFR mutations. These pre-methylated and active forms of the B vitamins are absorbed optimally, and work to increase folate levels and decrease homocysteine levels.
If an MTHFR test has revealed that you have one or more MTHFR mutations I recommend supplementing with Methylation Support® daily.
I strongly recommend supplementing with Methylation Support® if you have been prescribed methotrexate as part of your treatment for autoimmunity because methotrexate blocks folate pathways. If you have two mutations, even with a supplement to support methylation, you may want to consider different medications. My Autoimmune Solution Program will also help you address the underlying causes of your condition, so you can come off of harsh medications altogether.
2. Avoid Folic Acid (Synthetic B Vitamins)
As a reminder, simply increasing your folic acid will not help with methylation issues because your body is not able to convert it. Taking folic acid, which is synthetic and can be found in fortified and processed foods, is harmful because it can stay in your body unconverted. The unconverted folic acid attaches itself to the same receptors used to absorb folate, and ‘clogs them up’ so to speak.
3. Eat Foods Rich in B Vitamins
Get plenty of B vitamins naturally through your diet. The highest folate-rich foods include asparagus, romaine lettuce, broccoli, avocado, and dark, leafy greens such as spinach and kale. Foods high in B6 include poultry, seafood, bananas, and leafy green vegetables. Add more vitamin B12 to your diet with fish, poultry, and meat.
However, if an MTHFR test has revealed that you have two mutations like me, diet alone may not get you enough B vitamins to methylate optimally, and you may want to consider supplementing with Methylation Support®.
4. Reduce Your Toxic Burden
Because MTHFR mutations reduce your ability to detoxify heavy metals, you want to minimize your exposure to toxins. Here are steps you can take to limit your exposure to heavy metals:
- Filter your air – Mercury can be in the air near coal-burning plants. Avoid breathing it in by using a HEPA filter in your home and office.
- Filter your water -Due to pollution and runoff, mercury can be found in our water supply. To protect your water I recommend installing water filters on all of your taps and showerheads. The skin absorbs chemicals too!
- Remove amalgam fillings safely – Amalgam fillings contain mercury and emit a mercury vapor that can leach into your bloodstream. For more information on the risks of amalgam fillings and how to remove them safely, check out my interview with biological dentist, Stuart Nunnally, in which we discuss best practices of holistic dentistry.
- Choose fish that are not high in mercury – The Environmental Defense Fund has a list of fish that are typically high in mercury and should be avoided. There is also a preferred list of those that are low in mercury.
You can learn more about reducing your toxic burden in this article about Taming the Toxins, and in my books, The Autoimmune Solution and The Thyroid Connection.
5. Flush Out Toxins Safely
In addition to preventing toxins from coming into your body, focus on supporting your detox pathways to flush toxins out safely.
- Eat cruciferous vegetables – These vegetables, including arugula, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and collard greens, are rich in antioxidants and support safe detoxification.
- Excrete the toxins – Drink plenty of water, optimize your digestion, and do activities that help you sweat, such as exercise or using an infrared sauna.
- Add in Glutathione – This is your body’s most important detoxifier, and it plays a big role in reducing your risk for developing an autoimmune disease. Your ability to produce glutathione diminishes if you are not methylating properly. I take this every day and recommended it to all of my patients with autoimmunity and MTHFR mutations.
- Take a Liver Support Supplement – The one I offer contains N-acetyl, L-cysteine, alpha-lipoic acid, milk thistle, and selenium. It supports antioxidant activity and promotes a healthy immune system. In addition, Liver Support helps your body’s glutathione production.
- Increase Your Magnesium – Magnesium supports the detoxification process through its major role in the production of energy as ATP. This provides cells with what they require to pump out toxins before, during, and after they accumulate.
- Don’t forget the Methylation Support® – As I mentioned above, you want to be sure you’re taking a methylation support supplement. This and glutathione are the two absolute go-to supplements that I take daily no matter what.
Remember knowledge is power, so getting an MTHFR test and knowing your MTHFR status is a huge first step in taking control of your health! Even if life dealt a certain genetic hand, remember the unlimited choices as to how you play that hand.
MTHFR Test FAQs
What is an MTHFR Test?
Everyone has MTHFR genes. An MTHFR test looks at any mutations that can occur as a result of over- or under-producing homocysteine levels. An MTHFR test determines if you have one, two, or multiple MTHFR gene mutations.
What does the MTHFR gene do?
The MTHFR gene is one of the 20,000 genes in the human body. It is a “master instruction sheet” for the production of the MTHFR enzyme, which works as a catalyst for important biochemical reactions in your body such as converting vitamin B9 into methyl-folate, which is essential for a process called methylation.
What are the symptoms of an MTHFR gene mutation?
Symptoms vary from person to person and from mutation to mutation. Conditions that may be associated with an MTHFR gene mutation include cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, chronic pain and fatigue, and spina bifida.