MTHFR: Do I need to supplement B12and Folate?

[oriane]

Hello! New here, and so grateful for all the information I've been able to glean from you all.

I've been struggling with depression, insomnia, high estrogen symptoms for years, and (have now realized in the past year) many hypothyroid symptoms. I've been a supplement junky for the past 5 years. Now in my 40th year I'm trying to simplify using diet for real nourishment and supplement in a very targeted way. I just ordered Energin to help me with energy, mental alertness and lift me out of depression. The day after I received it in the mail, I found out I have the MTHFR deficiency, and of course, the recommendation is to supplement B12 and Folate. Since Energin doesn't have these two B's, I'm looking into buying another supplement, but not if I don't need to.
Has anyone else with MTHFR deficiency and depression felt better supplementing with B12/Folate? or has diet been sufficent? I'd love to hear from you!

Other supplements I'm taking: magnesium glycinate daily, Tocovit daily, D3/K/Zinc a few times a week.
Diet: Everyday: eggs, raw milk, raw butter, honey, cheese, oranges, carrot sticks, coffee, black tea, collagen. Often during the week: steak, chicken bone broth, mushrooms, potatoes, tortillas, parsley, cilantro, thyme, garlic. Once a week: sourdough bread, oysters, pork.

 

[Mito]

The majority of people have some degree of MTHFR polymorphisms.

Chris Masterjohn has a lot of content on MTHFR. He thinks it’s simply a riboflavin deficiency.

Your “MTHFR” Is Just a Riboflavin Deficiency

Or one of hundreds of other genetic impairments in energy metabolism.

chrismasterjohnphd.com

Start Here for MTHFR and Methylation

If you are looking for information on methylation and the MTHFR gene, this is where to start.

chrismasterjohnphd.com

 

[Zsazsa]

I supplement according to blood levels. I test for the following at least 1x a year:

Hemogram
B12
Folate
Homocysteine
Zinc
Copper
Selenium
Ferritin
Etc.

 

[Mito]

Masterjohn argues that supplementing folate because you have an MTHFR variant is not logical because people with normal MTHFR activity endogenously recycle about 4.5 grams of folate everyday. Typical amounts of methyl folate supplements are 400 micrograms per day, so not a significant contribution to methyl donors. It wouldn’t be safe to supplement grams of folate each day.

 

[oriane]

I supplement according to blood levels. I test for the following at least 1x a year:

Hemogram
B12
Folate
Homocysteine
Zinc
Copper
Selenium
Ferritin
Etc.

Hi -thanks for your response. Are you in the US? If so which test do you use?

 

[oriane]

Masterjohn argues that supplementing folate because you have an MTHFR variant is not logical because people with normal MTHFR activity endogenously recycle about 4.5 grams of folate everyday. Typical amounts of methyl folate supplements are 400 micrograms per day, so not a significant contribution to methyl donors. It wouldn’t be safe to supplement grams of folate each day.

I see. Thank you. Looks like the answer is liver, and I don't need to waste money on folate supplements!

 

[Zsazsa]

Hi -thanks for your response. Are you in the US? If so which test do you use?

Not in the US.

My husband and I have different MTHFR SNPs. My folate levels in blood are always above 10 ng/mL, and my husband's always below 10 ng/mL. I attribute it to methylation capacity. Just like Masterjohn says, I have benefitted from B2 supps, whereas it doesn't help my husband. Additionally, I have tried all 3 different B9 supplements and hated all of them (all 3 made folate from food feel very toxic: liver congestion).

If homocysteine is too high, go for P5P instead. Interestingly, supplementing with Zn + Cu + Se brought my Hcy levels from 8,9 to 6,9.

 

[oriane]

Not in the US.

My husband and I have different MTHFR SNPs. My folate levels in blood are always above 10 ng/mL, and my husband's always below 10 ng/mL. I attribute it to methylation capacity. Just like Masterjohn says, I have benefitted from B2 supps, whereas it doesn't help my husband. Additionally, I have tried all 3 different B9 supplements and hated all of them (all 3 made folate from food feel very toxic: liver congestion).

If homocysteine is too high, go for P5P instead. Interestingly, supplementing with Zn + Cu + Se brought my Hcy levels from 8,9 to 6,9.

Interesting, thanks for sharing. This is all new terrain for me so it sounds like I'll have to see what works and adjust as needed.

 

[Jerkboy]

Eat a diet with meat and a lot of vegetables.

Or meat and orange juice.

 

[Jib]

I'm compound heterozygous for C677T and A1298C.

I've had very good results with methylfolate for major depressive disorder. I used to take very large doses, 15mg a day. I was getting a prescription and then just started using cheaper over the counter supplements.

Now, I just take an active B complex a couple times a day. In 2 capsules it has 50mg thiamin, 50mg riboflavin-5-phosphate, 100mg niacin, 50mg P5P, 800mcg methylfolate, 300mcg biotin, 100mg pantothenic acid, 250mg choline, and 250mg inositol.

Works for me. In general I feel a lot better taking an active B-complex on a regular basis. The lower dose methylfolate still seems to have a significant impact on my depression. Though the super high doses have worked exceptionally well. I'm skeptical of taking such large amounts but for me personally, 10 to 15mg of methylfolate has made a very tremendous difference in the past for my major depression. But I can't really trust taking such an insanely high amount long-term. Who knows what the effects could be.

 

[oriane]

I'm compound heterozygous for C677T and A1298C.

I've had very good results with methylfolate for major depressive disorder. I used to take very large doses, 15mg a day. I was getting a prescription and then just started using cheaper over the counter supplements.

Now, I just take an active B complex a couple times a day. In 2 capsules it has 50mg thiamin, 50mg riboflavin-5-phosphate, 100mg niacin, 50mg P5P, 800mcg methylfolate, 300mcg biotin, 100mg pantothenic acid, 250mg choline, and 250mg inositol.

Works for me. In general I feel a lot better taking an active B-complex on a regular basis. The lower dose methylfolate still seems to have a significant impact on my depression. Though the super high doses have worked exceptionally well. I'm skeptical of taking such large amounts but for me personally, 10 to 15mg of methylfolate has made a very tremendous difference in the past for my major depression. But I can't really trust taking such an insanely high amount long-term. Who knows what the effects could be.

Thanks Jib, that's wonderful to hear how much it helped you. What brand do you use? I've been using Energin for the past week and I think it's helping along with magnesium. The crucial time for me is the week before my period when I'm really low energetically/mentally. I think once I use up the Energin I'll try B complex to compare, and in the meantime try to eat a lot of meat!

As a side note, yesterday I put 10 drops of Energin on my inner forearm, and this morning I woke up with a yellowish tint on my face-- is this a thing?

Eat a diet with meat and a lot of vegetables.

Or meat and orange juice.

I'm trying ! :)

 

[Jib]

Thanks Jib, that's wonderful to hear how much it helped you. What brand do you use? I've been using Energin for the past week and I think it's helping along with magnesium. The crucial time for me is the week before my period when I'm really low energetically/mentally. I think once I use up the Energin I'll try B complex to compare, and in the meantime try to eat a lot of meat!

As a side note, yesterday I put 10 drops of Energin on my inner forearm, and this morning I woke up with a yellowish tint on my face-- is this a thing?


I'm trying ! :)

The brand I've been using is Methyl Life. However I'm going to give Biotics Research a try: 400mcg methylfolate and 25mcg methylcobalamin per serving tablets. "Methylfolate plus."

 

[Funnywhensunny]

Are you saying that you used methylated B's for sometime, and then started using unmethylated vitamin B's and have had no problem since? I find that taking vitamin B's make me very racy. It's good for energy but I fear what it is doing to my already shrunk adrenals.