Methylation

Methylation is the addition of a methyl
group to a molecule or the
replacement of an atom or atom
group in a molecule with a methyl
group.
It all sounds like greek and, probably,
not that important to you. Even most
doctors likely don’t know much, if
anything about it. Yet, arguably,
methylation may be the most
important biochemical process in your
body and the most important
consideration when your health is in
question, especially when nothing
seems to help and the doctors you’ve
seen just can’t seem to figure out
what is causing all the problem.
Because cell division and the
manufacture of proteins and enzymes
within each cell depends on
methylation, a huge range of health
problems can be due to impaired
methylation.
Low methylation impairs the
production of CoQ10 and can lead to
high homocysteine levels in your
system resulting in inflammation and
damage to the heart and blood
vessels. Fatigue is a common
symptom associated with this
problem because CoQ10 is essential
for the mitochondria within the cells of
your body to produce energy.
Your mood is controlled by
methylation deficiency in that many of
your brain neurotransmitters need
methylation for production. Serotonin,
acetylcholine, dopamine, epinephrine,
and norepinephrine are all effected.
For example, low dopamine levels
are associated with poor
concentration, impaired memory,
disorganization, and ADD and low
serotonin is associated with
depression and impaired sleep.
Your ability to handle stress, control
blood sugar, and regulate immune
response and inflammation depend
on cortisol which requires
methylation. Low cortisol can
predispose to inflammation, allergies,
or autoimmune diseases, such as
lupus, MS, or rheumatoid arthritis.
! Glutathione, the major antioxidant in
your body, depends on methylation
for production. It acts as an
antioxidant and preserves the activity
of other antioxidants and controls
levels of nitric oxide, an enzyme
essential to cardiovascular function,
hormone regulation, and cell repair.
Glutathione also breaks down
environmental chemicals, including
carcinogens, estrogen mimics
(xenobiotics), and toxic metals
(mercury’ lead, arsenic) so they can
be eliminated from your body.
Because methylation controls optimal
cell division and regulation and
inflammation, impaired methylation
has been associated with the
development of many degenerative
diseases (heart disease,
osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes,
dementia) and accelerated aging.
Folic acid is the most important single
essential nutrient for methylation, yet
a common genetic fault
(polymorphism MTHFR C677T)
results in an inability to produce the
the active form, methylfolate, from
dietary folic acid. Other nutrients
necessary for normal methylation of
this cycle include B12, glycine,
serine, activated B6, selenium, and
the amino acids, cysteine and
methionine.
Your doctor trained in applied
kinesiology methods can test your
methylation status and make
corrections to your nutrition through
diet and supplementation to balance
your methylation. Diagnosis of
methylation dysfunction typically
comes from a combination of history,
physical exam, laboratory findings,
and applied kinesiology testing.
Sometimes, the diagnostic process
may include genetic testing.When the
right combination of factors optimize
your methylation functions, the
improvement in your health can be
dramatic.
References
Mark Force, DC, DIBAK, is a
diplomate and certified teacher of
applied kinesiology. Dr. Force has
published a book on selfcare,
Choosing Health, and practices in
Scottsdale, Arizona.

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