18/10/2024
Methylation, what is it?
Well, I can tell you one thing, it is NOT a simple process! Out of respect to the reader, I will try to stay away from too many details, but to explain methylation is worth the effort because of its importance to our health. I will add, this has come from clinical experience so what I take from the “textbooks” is not intellectual gobble-d-gook but rather something that has both practical AND measurable foundations; it WILL improve your physical and mental health.
So, you come to see me, and I get your Homocysteine levels checked. Your bloods come back, and the results are between 5 and around 7.6. I give them the thumbs up, and we go on to other things.
But wait, what if the results are below 5 or above 8? How about if they are 4 or 10? Well, if they did come back at those levels, here’s two things you can be sure of:
1. Your doctor will say they are “fine”
2. I will not say they are “fine”
Homocysteine is a direct product of the methylation cycle – this means that measuring it gives me an indication of how efficient that process is going inside your cells. Furthermore, homocysteine is made into other stuff – one of these being Glutathione which is kind of like the fire brigade is to a burning building.
Cardiovascular disease, mental health, kidney function, detoxification, DNA replication: all of these are impacted by methylation. Methylation itself is directly reliant upon vitamin B12 and folate status.
Getting back to your results. The range of 5 to around 7.6 is optimal. The further from this range you are the less efficient you are methylating. This will affect your health. In addition, homocysteine can be an indicator of problems – like a biochemical red light. From a real life example of one of my patients, homocysteine levels were directly correlated with kidney function and cardiovascular risk. Yes, I checked, via pathology, indicators for both and found, as suspected, all was not ok. The patient’s levels of homocysteine were within range as far as the labs’ parameters were concerned but well outside optimal as far as I was.
So, what is Methylation?
Important.
