Homocysteine

You may read that a CBS variant causes the pathway to run “too fast,” depletes methyl groups, creates too much ammonia or sulfur, and means you should avoid sulfur-rich foods. Let's demystify and do some truth telling.

Your body actually has two major pathways for recycling homocysteine back into methionine. One depends primarily on folate and vitamin B12. The other uses choline-derived betaine.

You get your bloodwork back and your homocysteine is elevated. If you've ever looked at Instagram ever your first thought is probably "It must be MTHFR!" You might be right, especially if you have an MTHFR C677T variant, which is most closely associated with high homocysteine. But there are many other reasons for homocysteine to be elevated, so don't stop looking once you see MTHFR.

Pots, or postural orthostatic tachycardia, is a complex condition which often appears in people with MTHFR gene variances, so in this post we explore possible links between MTHFR and POTS.

Understanding the difference between these two conditions can prevent unnecessary fear while also helping families recognize when true medical evaluation is needed.

PEMT quietly works alongside MTHFR, and when both are affected, the impact on health can be much more significant. MTHFR and PEMT must be managed together to avoid consequences to fertility, liver function, neurotransmitters, and more.

Inflammation is a natural response by the body to injury or infection, but when it becomes chronic, it can contribute to many health problems. One factor linked to higher resting levels of inflammation is a genetic variation in the MTHFR gene. This post explores why MTHFR mutations may increase inflammation, reviews current research, and offers practical strategies to reduce inflammation naturally.

Blood clotting disorders can pose serious health risks, including stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. One genetic factor that influences clotting risk is the MTHFR gene mutation

The connection between MTHFR gene mutations and blood clot risk often centers on homocysteine levels. The common story goes like this: if you have an MTHFR mutation, your homocysteine will be high, and that means you face a greater risk of blood clots. But this narrative oversimplifies a complex relationship.

High homocysteine is one of the most medically recognized consequences of having an MTHFR gene mutation, and learning to lower homocysteine with MTHFR can protect your health long-term. Balancing your methylation and boosting your B vitamins, especially B2, folate or 5-LMTHF, and B12, is the usual first step with MTHFR. But for true health, there are some other things that matter as well.

MTHFR and homocysteine are linked because homocysteine builds up when the folate cycle isn't working efficiently, which can happen with MTHFR. Because of this, testing homocysteine can be a helpful way to determine whether the health changes you are making for your MTHFR gene mutation are actually effective for you. In this post, we will cover Homocysteine testing and parameters - what is normal, what isn't, and what is considered normal but maybe shouldn't be.