MTHFR Gene Mutation Treatment
MTHFR Gene Mutation Treatment in Lansdowne, VA
The MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) Gene Mutation is a key regulatory enzyme in folate and homocysteine metabolism. Its main function is to provide your body with instructions on how to create the MTHFR protein that helps the body produce folate. This B vitamin is essential for the creation of DNA. The methylation process takes folic acid in as the raw material and adds a methyl group to it in order to produce 5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate) or “Methylated Folate”. Think of 5-MTHF as the “gasoline” for our cells and without it, patients will lack energy and will not produce enough of various byproducts to be healthy and feel our best.
When a person has the MTHFR gene mutation it can manifest as either one or two mutations known as variants.
There are six known variants but the two most common are:
- C677T – Approximately 30-40% of Americans have this variant
- A1298C – This variant is more common in individuals of North American, European and Australian decent.
The other variants are FOLR1, FOLR2, DHFR, and MTHFD1.
Conditions and symptoms caused or made worse by MTHFR mutation
- Addiction
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Asthma
- Atherosclerosis
- Autism
- Bladder cancer
- Blood clots
- Childhood cognitive development deficits
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Depression
- Diabetes Type 1
- Epilepsy
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastric cancer
- Heart Attack
- Heart murmurs
- High homocysteine
- IBS
- Low HDL
- Male infertility
- Miscarriage
- Nitrous oxide toxicity
- Oral clefts
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pre-eclampsia
- Post-menopausal breast cancer
- Potential drug toxicities – methotrexate, anti-epileptics
- Prostate cancer
- Pulmonary embolisms
- Rectal cancer
- Schizophrenia
- Shortness of breath
- Stroke
How We Treat MTHFR Gene Mutation
Our specialists help patients quantify the impact of the methylation process by looking at all of the variants and using our algorithm to estimate the impact. If you have a single heterozygous mutation, the impact may not be medically significant. On the other hand, if you have a homozygous C677T, you may have significant unanswered medical issues and symptoms. This is why we have to take a complete look at all of the genes in the methylation process and assess each patient individually.
The foundation of our approach to treating this mutation is our Comprehensive Initial Assessment with Genetics. This assessment, which includes 2 hours with one of our physicians, provides the basis for establishing the appropriate treatment protocol, taking into consideration the number and degree of your symptoms and health conditions that may or may not be related.
Using a functional medicine approach, we address the root causes of your symptoms, as many health issues may not be directly caused by the MTHFR mutation. We work to understand that imbalances in one part of the body may manifest in other systems
Advanced Testing
Advanced Testing is the key to our customized treatment programs to treat the MTHFR mutation including: • Comprehensive lab panel • Advanced genetics panel from Gx Sciences • Food sensitivity test (if indicated) • CIMT (due to increased cardiovascular risk)
Dietary Guidelines
Dietary Guidelines are customized for each patient based on the results of food sensitivity testing: • Eliminate/reduce dairy • Eliminate/reduce gluten • Drink a green smoothie daily • Limit intake of folic acid • Limit intake of processed foods • Avoid antacids
Lifestyle Guidance
Depending on age, lab results and the degree of symptoms, lifestyle adjustments may be required for symptomatic improvement in some patients including:
• Balance hormones with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy where indicated
• Eliminate carpeting from the home
• Filter chlorine from all water in the household
• Cook with electric stove; avoid using gas stoves
Nutritional Supplementation
This is a cornerstone for many of our programs but is especially critical for those with the MTHFR mutation. To ensure success, we add the right ingredients at the right time for each patient. Critical areas of nutritional supplementation may include: •IV Therapy •Comprehensive multivitamin (without folic acid) •Methylated folate •Gluathione •Fish Oil •Nattokinanse •Vitamins C and D3 •Probiotics
