Genetic mutations (polymorphisms) of the MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate) enzyme are common in the general population.
Estimates are that approximately 60% of the general population (including myself) possess this mutation which comes with a range of influence on such important metabolic processes as methylation* pathway impairment, the potential buildup of homocysteine levels etc.)
* For those of you who read my newsletter that are not health care practitioners here is a simple explanation of methylation from the website: Mindbodygreen:
What is methylation? Without getting too technical, methylation is the addition of a single carbon and three hydrogen atoms (called a methyl group) to another molecule. The removal of a methyl group is called demethylation. Think of billions of little on/off switches inside your body that control everything from your stress response and how your body makes energy from food, to your brain chemistry and detoxification. That’s methylation and demethylation.
Typically if the MTHFR polymorphism is negatively impacting on methylation function, one of the approaches to improve this is for the individual to supplement with 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methyl THF) – which is something that I personally do.
The reason this is done is that with this polymorphism the biochemical pathway step which involves converting 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methyl THF), the primary circulatory form of folate utilized in homocysteine remethylation to methionine is impaired. By consuming the end product – 5-methyl THF you are consuming the end product and not worrying about the impaired conversion to make the end product – 5-methyl THF.
The following article suggests that by simply supplementing with Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) that the additional Riboflavin can make the enzyme necessary for this conversion to work like normal.
Supplementing with 5-methyl THF certainly works, however many readers I am sure would agree that targeting and resolving the cause of the problem
(the enzymatic conversion of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methyl THF) makes more sense – rather than targeting the effect.
In addition, 5-methyl THF is typically a practitioner grade supplement which the general population would not typically have access to – and most in this population would not understand the biochemistry/biochemical pathways involved and may actually exacerbate an existing problem (for example, initiating overmethylation can disrupt neurotransmitter balance). Also 5-methyl THF is much more expensive vs. Riboflavin, a common and accessible B vitamin.
Many comprehensive B vitamin complexes may in fact have enough Riboflavin content to meet this need, and I am of the opinion that it is always best to take balanced ratios of the B vitamins – unless there is a specific identified need for a larger amount of a specific B vitamin(s).
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