What is Methylation?
Think of our DNA as the instruction manual that runs the astonishing feat of engineering that is the human body. Methylation is an important chapter in that manual. It’s a series of chemical processes with very complicated results. You could think of it as a switch system - methylation of a particular DNA sequence of a gene can turn that gene on or off, so that it makes - or doesn’t make - a particular protein.
The biological process by which that happens is tiny, though crucial. All that happens is four atoms - one carbon, three hydrogen - transfer from one substance to another. Yet the results can play a critical role in regulating all our cellular processes. When you have optimal methylation, the whole system runs smoothly.
The cardiovascular, neurological, reproductive, and detoxification systems all run in pristine condition, gears and switches clicking smoothly into place. But changes in methylation rates or patterns can affect your chances of developing diseases or suffering ill health. Methylation also plays a key role in regulating neurotransmitters, so can even affect mood as well as mental function.
The Methylation Cycles
Each of us is totally unique. And the combination of genes that we carry, and how they interact, can significantly impact the methylation cycle. So by testing our DNA and understanding our own variants, we can understand those potential impacts and identify any methylation pathways that may be inhibited.
Of course, we can’t change our genetic code, but knowledge is power: if we know a certain pathway is functioning at less than optimum efficiency, we can support it by taking particular nutritional supplements or even by changing our lifestyles and patterns. You can’t change your genes, but you can certainly modulate how they impact you and help support the optimal functioning of your own unique system.
What can testing my methylation cycle tell me?
Testing your DNA to fully understand your own, unique genetic profile - and exactly how your personal methylation cycle works - can be a hugely powerful tool and help you to make changes to live as healthily as you can.
Of course, when we talk about a methlyation cycle, that is of course a simplication of vastly complicated and ever-evolving science. There are actually a whole series of cycles involves, and at Stride we look at the five key cycles - or ‘metabolic pathways’ that occur within your body every day, to arm you with as much information as possible.
The Folate Cycle
Folate - also known as Vitamin B9 - is crucial to our health, and we take it in in one of two ways, either consuming it as naturally-occurring folate in our food, or taking it as a supplement in the synthetic form known as folic acid.
The Folate cycle converts folate into a usable form - or fuel to go back to that car analogy - which helps support the methylation cycle. It is crucially important in a wide variety of functions, from gestational and pregnancy health to energy production and inflammation control.
So when you get your own personal genetic results from a Stride report, you might, for example, learn that it would be a good idea to pay particular attention to B9 and to look for ‘methlyated’ or ‘active’ forms of folate which will be more readily utilised in your body.
The Methionine Cycle
The genes involved in the Methionine Cycle are actually some of the most well-researched so far in this rapidly evolving area of medicine. In fact, sometimes the Methionine Cycle is simply called ‘the methylation cycle’ by itself.
The Methionine cycle is essentially a vital biochemical process in which methionine, an essential amino acid, is metabolised to support various cellular functions.
One of the key products of the Methione cycle is SAMe, which plays a crucial role in many of the important methylation processes in the body.
If your Stride test shows, for example, that your Methionine Cycle Efficiency is ‘impaired’ then you can help support it by supplementation. Or you might learn you carry two copies of an allele which can increase susceptibility to gastric infections linked to reduced B12 absorption. Again, knowledge leading to dietary and lifestyle changes can make a big difference.
The Transsuplhuration Pathway
The Transsulphuration Pathway is another metabolic process, which involves the oxidation of sulphates. Sulphites in the body can increase cortisol, and even cause brain fog, but this process helps to detoxify them into sulphates which are less toxic and can simply be excreted in urine.
This pathway also plays a crucial role in vascular and circulatory function, in neuroprotective functions and also in telomere protection - telomeres being the sequences at the end of a chromosome that protect it from becoming damaged.
If, for example, your Stride report indicates that sulfur levels are a concern, then you can take action by limiting sulfur-containing foods like garlic, onions, and cruciferous vegetables, and you can also consider supplements like MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and certain beneficial amino acids.
The BH4 Cycle
The BH4 Cycle is essential for a number of different processes in the body, including the production of key neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, melatonin, norepinephrine, and thyroid hormones.
And as you might expect, if you have low levels of the crucial components that help keep these neurotransmitters functioning perfectly, then the results can be as varied as mood imbalances, poor memory, concentration and sleep issues and even aggressive behaviour.
Again, your Stride results can arm you with powerful information that can help. For example, if your results were to show you are low in SAMe levels, then you should consider supplementation, as it’s not possible to increase this through dietary changes.
The Urea Cycle
The Urea cycle, also known as the ornithine cycle, is a series of biochemical reactions that convert toxic ammonia into urea, which the kidneys can then excrete. Again, it’s a vital process to healthy functioning and occurs in the liver with the help of enzymes.
To do this, this process requires Nitric Oxide - which itself relies on BH4. If you have have inadequate levels of BH4, the Nitric Oxide can product harmful free radicals which can lead to a compromised cardiovascular function, and increased risk of vascular diseases.
Again, your personal results can be illuminating. You might learn, for example, that you carry two copies of the allele which is linked to a diminished ability to breakdown the free radicals, increasing your susceptibility to oxidative stress. To help combat this, you could make dietary changes like including more manganese-rich foods in your diet and increase your antioxidant intake.
Whatever the results, a personalised Stride report will help you to understand your own unique genetic makeup, and arm you with the knowledge and power to make changes.
Unlock your Methylation insights with StrideDNA, and take your health to the next level by taking a genetic methylation test.