Methyl groups affect many things in the body, like how much energy you have, how hormones work, and how well your immune system works.
Folate and methionine are two B vitamins with many methyl groups. All these nutrients need to be broken down and used by the body on a chemical level – through a process called methylation, which adds three hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom to the compound and makes it ready to be used in many ways.
IMPACT OF METHYLATION ON YOUR BODY
Methylation affects how hormones work, how the body uses energy, and how blood moves through the body.
Stress, getting rid of toxins, reducing inflammation, making energy, and making homocysteine all have to do with methyl-related nutrients. Because of this, many people take a methyl B vitamin complex every day as a supplement.
Also, vitamins in these groups help most of the body’s other systems do their jobs well by acting as facilitators. Since methyl-related vitamins directly affect the body’s metabolism and the cleaning of hormonal pathways, they also help the body absorb and use any other nutrients that are taken simultaneously, even if they don’t contain methyl groups.
But there’s more to getting nutrients into your body than just swallowing a pill or chewing a gummy. When we eat food with these vitamins, they are not ready to be absorbed. They are not doing anything.
The body needs the methylation process to get them ready. This process turns vitamins into active or methylated forms, which is when the body can use them to keep all of its systems running well.
But about 30% of people have an MTHFR mutation, which makes it hard for the body to do the methylation process. When these things happen, taking a vitamin that hasn’t been methylated won’t help much.
Luckily, medical technology has come far enough that methylated vitamins can be made. Most professional supplement providers have been using methylated vitamins for a while, and the retail market has finally caught up. Everyone can get more out of methylated vitamins when they are in their active state. This is good news for everyone, not just people who have the MTHFR mutation.
HOW METHYLATION WORKS
Methylated vitamins are kind of like buying a new motorcycle.
You can buy the pieces and put them together, or buy a motorcycle that’s already put together and ready to ride. If you want to ride it right away, you need a motorcycle already put together and ready to go.
People with the MTHFR mutation need a ready-to-ride motorcycle because they can’t put one together independently. With the ready-to-ride option, everyone else will also be able to get on the road faster.
The same is true for methylated vitamins. They are already in their active form so the body can absorb them much faster than unmethylated vitamins. This means that the body can use those nutrients more quickly.
Vitamins are not energy drinks, though, so keep that in mind. They won’t give you the same energy boost and let you down. Methylated vitamins can be helpful, but there are some things to keep in mind, just like any other supplement. Before adding them to a client’s plan, these things should be thought out.
ARE THERE LIMITS TO METHYLATED VITAMINS?
There is a lot of proof that vitamins in the methyl group are good for you.
They give you energy, keep your hormones in balance, lower your homocysteine levels, and can even help clear your mind and lift your mood. Still, a supplement can only do so much if you don’t also eat and live healthily.
Controlling your environment also helps a lot when it comes to how well supplements work. This means lowering the client’s overall stress, limiting the amount of alcohol they drink, telling them not to smoke, and getting rid of toxins in their environment. The methyl groups will also be helped by keeping a healthy amount of proteins and amino acids in the body.
Not getting enough sleep or exercise affects every part of the body, and methyl-related nutrients are no different. It won’t solve the problem of not having enough energy. That’s why it’s crucial to think about the effects of supplements in a whole-person way.
Methyl groups are involved in almost every bodily process, from the brain’s chemistry to the nerves.
When taken as a dietary supplement in its active, methylated state, the body can strengthen functions without having to methylate on its own. Because of these things, a methyl b complex supplement can help anyone feel better about their health. But like any other supplement, a methylated vitamin can’t compensate for a lousy diet and environment. This is why a patient’s health needs to be looked at from all angles to feel their best.