Harmony Hub Health
Functional Medicine, Hormone Health and Weight Loss with Michele Postol, CRNP
Harmony Hub Health
WTF is MTHFR? Discover the Hidden Health Connection
Have you ever felt like your health issues are a mystery? The answer might lie in your genes! In our latest episode, we delve into MTHFR - a genetic mutation that can significantly impact health and wellness. We share powerful insights about how MTHFR influences things like detoxification, hormone balance, and overall energy levels.
Through compelling patient stories and expert discussions, we uncover the often-overlooked effects of MTHFR. Tune in to learn about common symptoms linked to this mutation, including chronic fatigue, mental health struggles, and hormonal imbalances. Join us as we explore why many individuals find themselves feeling lost in a complex web of health issues without understanding that MTHFR could be a pivotal part of the puzzle.
Our guest shares practical advice on how to address MTHFR through dietary choices and supplements, ensuring you have the tools to take control of your health. By the end of the episode, you'll be equipped with valuable knowledge and actionable strategies to navigate the world of MTHFR.
Don’t let your health be a mystery! Join us in this informative journey and subscribe for more engaging discussions. Share your thoughts or experiences with MTHFR - we're all in this together!
Welcome to Harmony Hub Health, where my mission is to provide comprehensive, affordable, integrative care that addresses the root cause of health issues. At the Hub, the focus is on individual patient journeys. I strive to optimize health, vitality and longevity, fostering a community where each person can thrive in body, mind and spirit. In this episode, I want to talk about a genetic mutation that can really mess with your life and what to do about it. It's the MTHFR. It's the gene mutation with the worst branding ever. If you stumbled upon this term and thought WTF is MTHFR, you are not alone. It stands for methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, which sounds like a bad science fiction monster, but in reality it's an enzyme that plays a massive role in your health, and if your MTHFR gene isn't working properly, your body is essentially running like a glitchy iPhone that won't update, it's slow, it's inefficient and pretty dramatic. So the craziest thing happened today True story, you can't even make this up. I was seeing virtual patients on a platform that I work with and typically I open Sunday mornings up for ADHD so people can get their medications that are busy working during the week, but anybody can book in my open time slots and I had a very nice gentleman. I can't say too much because of HIPAA, but he was actually a medical professional and he scheduled an appointment for it just said blood draw. And I was like, well, I can't do that virtually, but talking with him, he didn't have a doctor, that was a primary care. Some issues had happened. So he was looking for somebody that can order blood work so that this provider in Beverly Hills could give him cyclosporine for skin issues. And I was like, well, since you don't have a primary care, I would love to be your provider. Why don't we change your appointment from me ordering blood work to why don't we go through your medical history and find out what is going on? And why do you have to go to Beverly Hills for your eczema, especially someone that's a medical professional? And he said I've been battling this since I was a child and this is the only thing that kind of has worked. I see this doctor virtually in Beverly Hills. He gives me cyclosporine, I just need to give him my blood work. I was like, okay, and when his doctor no longer would give him his blood work, he actually went into like a steroid withdrawal syndrome. That was horrible for him.
Speaker 1:So I decided I'm going to take care of this guy. Who else is better than me, right? So I was shocked. He had never seen functional medicine before for his skin, since he's been battling it since he was a child and we're getting into family history. And he's itching and scratching the whole time during this appointment, to the point that I told him I'm going to order him a pair of mitts. And he just laughed it off and said my skin is so broken from scratching.
Speaker 1:And I said well, you know, have they ever looked into histamine? Have they ever looked into root cause? And he looked at me like no, but I have seen every dermatologist I can and nobody's been able to help me. And I said well, you know, there are like some genetic mutations, there are different things that can cause elevated histamine or homocysteine. I mean, I'm reaching, I told him. But you know, there's such a thing called MTHFR. He looked through me at this computer screen and said what? And I was like no, it's a thing he goes. No, no, no. My son has autism and MTHFR mutation. And I said, well, where do you think he got it from? And he looked at me like it never dawned on him. They just told them that through the genetic testing for autism, that his son had this MTHFR mutation, but they didn't tell him what it was, where he could have got it from and the fact that it's genetic. And you know, the apple never falls far from the tree. So as I was talking to him, you would have thought this man won the lottery today.
Speaker 1:Because I came up with a plan. I ordered blood work for him and I hate to say this because I had to explain to him how cyclosporine is actually very dangerous, because cyclosporine can increase your homocysteine levels and he said that makes sense. That makes total sense. He had high blood pressure. This puts him at risk for heart disease and I don't want to get emotional about it, because the only reason why I brought this up was because I've had MTHFR in the brain.
Speaker 1:Because Harmony Hub Health, even at Monarch Beauty and Spa, I have done blood work on several people within the last two months and I think I'm up to four people that I have been like this is all MTHFR and I've never seen this much at one time. But I was starting to think that these things were coming to me for a purpose, like I have a purpose and my purpose could be helping people with their MTHFR. If you go to the Harmony Hub Facebook page, you can even go back to a post I made when I first started Harmony Hub Health about my experience with MTHFR and I don't even want to talk about it now because I'm not going to be able to focus and it makes me very teary eyed to talk about folate and methylation because of my own personal experiences. But I do feel like there's a reason. He came to me when he had no reason to come to me. He's in a different state I'm here, but I'm licensed in a state. He chose me to do his blood work and we had this conversation and this was brought about. There's a reason why people have come to me at Monarch Beauty and Spa where I've identified OMG, wtf, mthfr and just Harmony Hub Health, saying wow, okay, have you ever thought of this? And the answer is always no. I knew before I saw this guy today that I was going to record this episode on MTHFR. It just puts chills down my spine that this happened. Like is it divine intervention or is my calling helping people like this? Because I am passionate about this.
Speaker 1:I actually got a message from one of my Harmony Hub Health patients that I saw. I'm going to read this to you because it touched me so much that I even showed my husband. Here's what she sent me. Thank you so much. I really appreciate how invested you are in helping others and the time you take to educate and explain that. She sent this to me while I was working on my taxes for last year, getting so overwhelmed and so grateful for what I have to offer and the people that I've helped. It's just amazing to me. So okay, let's get back on track then. I'm helped. It's just amazing to me. So okay, let's get back on track then. I'm sorry I got off topic because I just can't believe that this gentleman came and saw me today.
Speaker 1:But what is MTHFR? So the MTHFR gene? It provides instructions for making the MTHFR enzyme, which is responsible for processing folate that's your B9. And it puts it into the active form, methylfolate. This process is called methylation and it's a big deal because it impacts your liver's ability to get rid of junk, so your detoxification. It impacts your hormone balance, so you know period problems, mood swings. It can impact energy production, like chronic fatigue. It impacts your skin, just like it was for him and some other patients that I'm treating. You know, acne is not always from dairy. There's other things that can cause skin eruptions.
Speaker 1:Mental health you know anxiety and depression can be linked to MTHFR. Cardiovascular health think blood clots and heart disease. Anytime someone tells me they have a family member or somebody has had blood clots that were unprovoked, or maybe they even were provoked, we need to look at this and it really impacts your neurotransmitter production, so dopamine, serotonin. These are known as your happy brain chemicals. If you have an MTHFR mutation, your methylation cycle is either slowed or it's impaired, and this means that your body struggles to detox. You can't really absorb nutrients, you can't regulate your hormones. It makes you feel exhausted, inflamed and a moody mess. So since this little mutation impacts so many systems in the body, the symptoms can be all over the place.
Speaker 1:But here are some of the big red flags that I see for signs and symptoms of an MTHFR mutation. The first one is chronic fatigue. You wake up tired no matter how much you sleep. The first one is chronic fatigue. You wake up tired no matter how much you sleep. Second would be brain fog. You can walk into a room and forget why you went in there. That's happened to me more than I can even say, poor detoxification.
Speaker 1:If you can't handle alcohol, if you're sensitive to perfumes or chemicals, that is a sign. If you have mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, ocd, even ADHD, that won't go away. Or if you find that you have high homocysteine levels, this means your blood is too thick. It increases your heart disease and your risk of clots. A sign can be heavy periods, pcos, fertility struggles you could blame your methylation because it does cause hormone imbalances. Sleep issues you can feel wake up like 3 am and feel wired or you can't fall asleep. The skin problems, like the acne, the eczema, psoriasis, are just dull inflamed skin If you have migraines, chronic headachesczema psoriasis, or just dull inflamed skin If you have migraines, chronic headaches that don't respond to normal treatments, or recurrent miscarriages.
Speaker 1:You know MTHFR mutations have been linked to pregnancy complications. So basically, if you feel like you're falling apart for no clear reason, mthfr could be a missing piece of the puzzle and I see a lot of people with these signs and symptoms. And you know, when I do my comprehensive lab panel I'm not looking for MTHFR, but I can spot inconsistencies and things in the blood work that does point in that direction. So but who should get tested for MTHFR? Probably more people than you would think, especially if you have any of the symptoms I just said, if you've had multiple miscarriages or struggle with fertility. If you don't know my story, ezra, my wonderful, beautiful son was my fifth pregnancy. I was not able to keep a miscarriage and one of my pregnancies see, I'm going to talk about it anyway, and I didn't want to was a late miss um, where the amniotic fluid went in and dissolved the brain and I had to deliver this that way because of methylation issues. Folate you know. Folate is what forms neural tubes in developing babies. But if you've had multiple miscarriages or struggle with fertility, if you have family members with cardiovascular disease, blood clots, strokes, if you have anxiety, depression or other mental health struggles, if you feel worse when you take synthetic B vitamins like folic acid or eat processed foods with that synthetic folic acid, or if you have chronic inflammation, autoimmune issues or like weird food sensitivities, then you should get tested and testing is very simple and you can do that with Harmony Hub Health. Mthfr is an enzyme critical for processing amino acids and converting the vitamin folate into its active form, which is essential for DNA synthesis and repair as well as for the methylation process in your body, so variants in the MTHFR gene can affect the enzyme's function.
Speaker 1:There has been a lot of controversy with conventional medicine surrounding MTHFR. The two most studied mutations are the C677T and the A129AC. That one, that variant, the C67T, can lead to reduced enzyme activity, which can result in elevated homocysteine levels. It's a risk factor for various health issues, including cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders and complications in pregnancy. Some proponents of MTHFR argue that these mutations are linked to numerous health conditions, including depression, anxiety and chronic illnesses. But some of those critics point out that while homocysteine might be elevated, it's just a risk factor and it's not always indicative of causation. And many people with MTHFR mutations may not experience any health issues. That's true, but what about those that are? Why would you discount all of those that have it and are having issues because some people have it and don't have issues? That is insane to me. So there is a divide in the medical community about the significance of the mutations.
Speaker 1:Some practitioners emphasize the importance in health management, while many conventional medical professionals just view it as a very minor factor that does not warrant special treatment or any type of intervention. But functional medicine and alternative medicine practitioners advocate for high-dose folate or other B vitamins for those with MTHFR mutations to mitigate these potential issues. Conventional medicine tends to be more cautious about recommending treatments just solely based on genetic testing, without that robust evidence and big pharma. So the C677T variant, when I looked it up, is estimated to affect about 10 to 20% of various populations. Higher prevalence are in certain ethnic groups. I saw one that was as high as 30 to 50% in Hispanic population. The A1298C variant is much more common, with prevalence of 20 to 30% across all populations.
Speaker 1:20 to 30%, that means out of 10 people you know, 2 to 3 really can have these mutations and they don't feel like they should be offered any type of help and just let them go on or get cyclosporine from another area. That is negligent. I that is negligent. I think that is absolutely horrible. And 20% to 30% even if I can help one of those percents of the 20% to 30%, then that makes it all worthwhile to raise awareness and get people helped with this. And there are a lot more mutations. These are just the ones that are most popular and let me be clear with this Like, if you have the mutation, just the presence of it does not dictate health outcomes. Many individuals with these variants lead very healthy lives without any notable issues. What I'm talking about are those that have all of these symptoms and they have these mutations.
Speaker 1:You know, most clinical guidelines do not recommend routine screening for MTHFR unless there are specific indications. Like I said, I found these people not looking for it. It just popped up when I was doing a comprehensive workup. But if you have a history of thrombosis or you've had pregnancy complications, you should always have this checked. Okay?
Speaker 1:So if we talk about how MTHFR affects everything else, let's talk about hormones, because that is how I find this, because I do optimize hormones using bioidentical hormones. So MTHFR really messes with estrogen detoxification. That means if your body can't clear excess estrogen, you're in for a hormonal roller coaster. So think PMS from hell, heavy painful periods or low progesterone, which leads to anxiety and fertility issues. So MTHFR can cause this. So if you have estrogen dominance, if you are trying to find ways to balance that, luckily you might come to me for your hormone optimization and I might find reasons to go and check this or if your methylation cycle is slow and your body can't make ATP, which is our cellular energy, efficiently, this is when we get adrenal burnout, chronic fatigue, an over-reliance on caffeine, like people are telling me they're drinking three, four cups of coffee a day but they still just feel tired. And then skin, just like this poor gentleman I met today. Methylation affects collagen production. It also affects your detox pathways. Inflammation, which means you can have acne, you can have breakouts, you may have like dull, solid skin, you can have very slow wound healing, or the eczema, the rosacea, psoriasis. It all can come from that methylation process.
Speaker 1:And MTHFR mutations can significantly influence the metabolism of homocysteine and histamine, both of which play critical roles in various bodily functions and, if you understand, their relationship, is essential for managing health, especially for individuals with these MTHFR variants. Homocysteine is an amino acid that's produced during the metabolism of methionine. That's an essential amino acid found in protein. Under normal circumstances, homocysteine is converted into other substances like cysteine and methionine through various pathways cysteine and methionine through various pathways. The MTHFR enzyme is really important for converting 5,10-methyltetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. That's the active form of folate. So this active form is essential for the remethylation of homocysteine back to methionine. Did you catch all that? So variants like the C677T and the A1298C can lead to reduced enzyme activity, which may result in elevated homocysteine levels, also known as hyperhomocystenemia.
Speaker 1:High levels of homocysteine are associated with various health issues that can include cardiovascular disease. Elevated homocysteine are associated with various health issues that can include cardiovascular disease. Elevated homocysteine levels can damage blood vessels and promote clot formation, increasing the risk of heart disease and strokes. There's also evidence linking high homocysteine levels to cognitive decline, even dementia, and other neurological disorders, and that elevated homocysteine does pose risks like preeclampsia and miscarriage. So most conventional providers they don't check homocysteine and if they do, they'll tell you that it's completely normal by following that reference range on the labs. So the ideal homocysteine to functional medicine is about seven, but you could be much higher than that. I've seen a lot that the labs they say if you're 10, that's normal and they just stop looking. My goal is to get people seven and under. That is a great spot for homocysteine. If I see that you're at a 10, then I know we need to look further for these mutations.
Speaker 1:Histamine is a biogenic amine involved in local immune responses and regulation of stomach acid and neurotransmission. So it is produced in the body from the amino acid histidine through the action of the enzyme histidine decarboxylase. You know I have to add this stuff into my podcast, but MTHFR mutation influences the metabolism of histamine, primarily through the effect on folate and methylation process. People with MTHFR mutations may have a reduced ability to break down histamine due to impaired methylation. This impairment can lead to an accumulation of histamine in the body, resulting in histamine intolerance, and symptoms of histamine intolerance can be headaches or migraines, skin rashes or hives, digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea, respiratory problems. This seems to be how I caught two of mine as well, because they have nasal congestion. They had asthma. They're always complaining of allergies and just sniffling all the time, even though they weren't sick, flushing or sweating as well. And both homocysteine and histamine are linked through the methylation cycle, which is significantly impacted by MTHFR activity. When MTHFR function is compromised, the body may struggle to convert homocysteine effectively, leading for it to build up and accumulate, and at the same time, reduced methylation capacity can impair the breakdown of histamine, causing higher levels in susceptible individuals. So an individual with a C677T MTHFR mutation can experience elevated homocysteine levels, increasing cardiovascular risk, while also having difficulty processing histamine, leading to symptoms of intolerance. And this dual challenge emphasizes the importance of monitoring and managing both homocysteine and histamine levels in those types of individuals.
Speaker 1:I have a full protocol that I use for these, which has an increase of folate-rich foods. It limits high histamine foods and I have a whole supplement protocol for that, along with lifestyle modifications. Which brings me to just talk about how does functional medicine manage MTHFR? Not many people do. I have done a search to see people around me, people in the area, just different resources and it is few and far between. So maybe this is why these things are coming to me, because I do have a passion for this.
Speaker 1:So the first thing that we want to do or I guess, not do is you have to stop overloading your body with synthetic folic acid. This is found in processed foods and cheap supplements. I know a lot of people are like oh, I take these supplements but it does have just bad things in them. So if you are MTHFR, you can't convert it, so it builds up and creates more problems. Instead, you need to go for methylfolate and methyl B12. These are the activated forms that your body can actually use.
Speaker 1:I use orthomolecular protocol for MTHFR that is full of methylfolate, methylcobalamin or hydroxycobalamin, p5p glutathione you guys know I love my glutathione Right now. One of my favorites to lower homocysteine is the methyl CPG or the TMG and definitely some arginine, and there's a lot more than supplements that you take. You have to avoid fortified breads, cereals, cheap prenatals. I see a lot of people that they're worried they'll have another miscarriage, so they stay and just continue taking cheap prenatal vitamins that are full of folic acid that's not methylated. So it's kind of like a vicious cycle.
Speaker 1:You know processed foods, refined sugars they just inflame everything and because MTHFR, they can't detox very well. So they put themselves in such distress trying to drink alcohol or a lot of caffeine and they're making things worse. And then, because your detox pathways are already sluggish, you need to look out for toxins like BPA, heavy metals which is one of the reasons why I love my HTMA hair mineral tissue analysis test because you might be building heavy metals since you don't have those good detox pathways or the phthalates these are your plug-in air fresheners. Or those candles that you're burning that are full of toxins and endocrine disruptors. Instead, you do want to focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods. This would be leafy greens that have natural folate or grass-fed meats and organ meats those are B vitamins galore. Or wild caught fish for the omega-3s to reduce inflammation, eggs, which gives you choline for methylation, and turmeric and cruciferous vegetables for liver support, but you also want to make sure that you have your food IgG testing through my functional medicine testing to make sure that you are trying to add in these foods that you are then also giving yourself some IgG antibody responses to. Your liver is already working overtime, so you have to support your MTHFR with liver detox. You should be hydrating like almost over hydrating. You can add lemon or apple cider, vinegar, milk, thistle and dandelion root. These are things that I love to add to my Vicon customs when I formulate that, because those are very gentle liver detoxifiers. Cruciferous vegetables help clear excess estrogen as well, and just getting up and moving you know lymphatic drainage allows for better detox.
Speaker 1:If you suspect that you may have an MTHFR mutation or if you're experiencing health issues that might be related to it, you may want to consult a functional medicine provider. That can be a very proactive step toward optimizing your health. I would love to be your provider. Functional medicine does take a holistic approach. We focus on identifying the root cause of health issues rather than merely treating symptoms. So, functional medicine practitioners, we conduct thorough assessments, including the genetic testing, determine how your specific MTHFR status and other factors may be affecting your health. This personalized approach allows for tailored treatments that address your unique biochemical and genetic makeup, and a functional medicine provider will look at your entire health history, lifestyle and environmental factors. They may also consider how your diet, your stress levels and other lifestyle choices impact your MTHFR function and overall health. And by understanding the implications of your mutations, we can help by implementing strategies to prevent potential health issues. It could be dietary recommendations, it could be lifestyle modifications and targeted supplements.
Speaker 1:I am on Facebook and I do follow a lot of MTHFR groups. They're not professionals, they are just people that have the mutations chatting to each other, and there's so many times I want to post in there. No, no, no, no, stop it, because one person will post that they took something and 30 other people are like, oh, I'm gonna get that. They don't understand that this is individualized and what works for one person may not work for another and they could actually be damaging themselves more. Um, maybe I should actually say, hey, I can help you. No, I'm not gonna do that, but it is very helpful to read, because then I it helps me understand points of views and struggles that people have, and it definitely makes me a better practitioner when I see the struggles that these people are having. I just wish I can just type in there. Don't do that, but I'm not, I'm just in there for the scroll.
Speaker 1:So, harmony Hub Health, I am committed to providing support and guidance for individuals looking to navigate their health concerns related to MTHFR mutations. I can help you by giving you that expert consultation. You know I do understand the complexities of MTHFR and its implications. We can talk about your symptoms, your health history and concerns in a very supportive environment where personalized attention is prioritized. I can order your genetic testing and I can do the analysis and that analysis will guide the development of a targeted health plan. And, based on your unique genetic profile and health status, harmony Hub Health can help create this comprehensive plan that might include the dietary adjustments to enhance folate intake and reduce homocysteine levels, lifestyle changes to improve overall health and well-being.
Speaker 1:I have recommendations for supplements that are medical grade, that you can't just go to the store and buy, that are safe and effective, based on your MTHFR status and you know I like to emphasize continuous communication and support. So regular follow-ups so that we can monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments to your health plan. And just education to empower you in managing your health actively. This is one of I would say, a barrier sometimes because there's nobody to give education.
Speaker 1:I find that many people that already know they have MTHFR they've already done the Google searches and they've done the chat, gpt and they do think that they know it all and they become very resistant to things that I recommend oh, I've done that, they'll say, but no, you haven't done it my way. That I recommend oh, I've done that, they'll say, but no, you haven't done it my way. So that is something that does make for hard conversations during the process For people that have the known genetic mutation. They're already frustrated because the medical system has failed them. But I am here to help you. You know, and being part of Harmony Hub Health connects you to a community focused on holistic health. So I do have the Harmony Hub Health inner circle so people can kind of get together and talk about it also.
Speaker 1:So seeking a functional provider to address MTHFR is a very proactive approach to optimizing your well-being and I again would love to be your provider. So if you've been struggling with weird, unexplained health issues, mthfr could be the missing piece. So with functional medicine, with the right provider, with the right supplements. With the right lifestyle changes, we can transform your energy, your mood, your skin, because your body wants to function properly. It just needs the right tools. So come to me and we can hack your health, as we call it. You can find me at wwwharmonyhubhealthcom. You can find me on Facebook at Harmony Hub Health. You can also come see me in person at Monarch Beauty and Spa here in Manchester, maryland. Here's to health and happiness and I'll see you next time. Thank you.