What are Methylation Defects?

Methylation defects are just now being studied and treated as they are relatively new genetic disorder. Methylation is an important part of the body's natural process to detox your body, regulate hormones and also neurotransmitters. It is estimated anywhere from 10-30 percent of the population have some sort of methylation defect.

So what happens when methylation is not acting accordingly? It can cause a variety of health problems or at the very least make them worse. Symptoms can range from blood sugar problems, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, autism, and heart issues. Even when someone does have genes that may alter methylation function it does not always necessarily get expressed. It is a good idea to not only get general diagnostic tests done but to find out what genes you may have that have an altered function as opposed to normal functioning genes.

A paleo or GAPs diet is generally recommended as it eliminates foods that cause problems for those with methylation defects. A Gaps diet is recommended for those with moderate to severe digestive issues as well as eliminating FODMAPs foods, and potentially lowering protein and sulufur rich foods depending on your genetic profile. The best option for testing for genetic defects its the 23andme test. Test now is this available for only 100 dollars and can be an interpreted by vBulletin® Http://www.geneticgenie.org and by vBulletin® contacting Sterling Hill WHO COMPLETE is the administrator of the MTHFR support website.

As of now there are not many methylation specialists and there are roughly 30-40 in the United States and possibly world wide as well. A complete list For practitioners ' of WHO COMPLETE can help the I would recommend checking out Http://www.mthfrsupport.com . If you experience a sudden or gradual change in mental, emotional or physical health with no known cause, it is likely caused by methylation defects.

When someone has methylation defects they have any number of genes that alter the function or hormones or chemicals produced in the body. Altered function caused by genetic mutations or SNPs (singular nuecleotide polymorphisms) can cause biochemical imbalances in the body. These need to be addressed by a qualified and competent physician. It is much harder then people think to address and heal methylation defects. Many practitioners say they have heard of or aware of methylation defects but have little to no knowledge of how to treat these. Treating these as early as possible are important to as they can cause nerve or myelination damage which is hard to reverse and heal long term.

If you suspect you may have methylation issues please order a 23andme test, get it interpreted, find a practitioner and do your research. Other websites that may be able to are Dr Amy Yasko and Dr Ben Lynch's website which you can find easily using a Google search.

Source by Jared Heldt