What My DNA Taught Me About Energy & Detox

Okay friend, I have to share something I recently learned about my own body. I found out I have MTHFR. And no, it's not the bad word you're thinking of! 😂 It's actually a super common gene variation (way more common than most of us realize) that affects how well your body processes folate and B vitamins which matters a LOT for energy, mood, and detox, especially in midlife.

Honestly, I probably never would have thought to test for it if my DUTCH test hadn't raised some questions about my detox pathways. Here's the good news: it's easy to find out. It's a simple blood test, I used Function Labs to test, and it was a one-time test that told me exactly what I needed to know so I was never left guessing.

MTHFR is actually a very common genetic variant that affects how your body processes folate and certain B vitamins. It doesn't mean anything is "wrong" with you, but it can affect methylation, a process involved in everything from detoxification and hormone metabolism to homocysteine regulation and cellular repair.

What surprised me even more? It can run in families. After learning about mine, I had my daughter tested as well. There is also research linking certain MTHFR variants to pregnancy complications and recurrent miscarriage, which is why many women first discover it during fertility testing. The part that gave me the most peace of mind? This is often very manageable.

When people hear they have an MTHFR variant, they sometimes assume it's a huge problem. In reality, many people live their entire lives with it and never know. The key is understanding how your body works and giving it the support it needs.

For many people, that means prioritizing folate-rich foods like leafy greens, asparagus, lentils, beans, and chickpeas, paying attention to B12 intake, and using methylated forms of B vitamins when appropriate. Why does this matter?  Because methylation is involved in several important processes in the body, including detoxification, hormone metabolism, cellular repair, and recycling homocysteine. When methylation isn't working efficiently, homocysteine levels can rise. Elevated homocysteine has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk, which is why it's an important marker to monitor.

One thing I found especially interesting is the connection to creatine. Your body uses a significant amount of its methylation capacity to make creatine. By supplementing with creatine, you're essentially providing something your body would otherwise have to manufacture on its own. Some researchers believe this may help reduce the demand on the methylation cycle, which is one more reason I've been such a fan of creatine for women in midlife.

The encouraging news is that this isn't about fear..it's about information.

For me, the biggest lesson wasn't about finding another supplement to take. It was learning to follow the clues my body and labs were giving me instead of ignoring them. Don't ignore the breadcrumbs. They often lead you exactly where you need to go. ❤️ I always say, be an advocate for your own health, if you don't feel right, keep digging. I hope this was helpful.

As always, check with your healthcare provider before making changes to your nutrition, supplements, or healthcare plan.