Getting Genetic Testing Done for MTHFR and Methylation Issues

I want to share my experiences and tips about genetic testing. Eventually I also want to write a post about MTHFR and methylation issues, but it is an extremely complex topic and I am not an expert on it. I have gathered a ton of research but am procrastinating putting it all together.

So for right now I am going to tell you what I did, and then recommend to you what to do.

If you have any of these symptoms:

Anxiety
Panic disorder
Bipolar disorder
Chronic Fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Neuropathy
Addictions
Pulmonary embolisms
Schizophrenia
Miscarriages
Cardiovascular disease
Increased cancer risk
Insomnia
Irritability
Peripheral neuropathy
Restless leg syndrome
And more!


Then you just may have genetic mutations that are affecting your physical and mental health.

Now, let me tell you what I did. First, my naturopathic doctor recommended me to get tested for the two common MTHFR genetic variants A1298C and C677T. I paid $140 to get tested via the lab at the clinic. I was not shown to have any mutations on those two genes.

But the symptoms seemed so much like what I had!! And then I read that there are over 51 MTHFR / methylation genes. Well, only testing two of them isn't any good, right? So, I went ahead and ordered a complete genetic test at 23andme.com and it was SO amazing. There was an FDA ruling back in November that made them unable to display your inherited disease risks anymore, but everything else is still the same.

Once you get that raw data, I ran it through Sterling's App at www.mthfrsupport.com for $20. Then, I got my raw data in a form that made sense to me. It was a spreadsheet in PDF format that listed all the categories that affect methylation (including a section that contained 51 methylation genes -- of which 37 of them I was homozygous or heterozygous mutated!).

Things started to be a lot more clear to me. But I still didn't know what to do, or what it all meant exactly. What did all those reds mean to me (the reds are homozygous, the double risk allele, and the yellows are heterozygous with only one risk allele).

So then I set up an appointment with Sterling Hill, who is the founder of www.mthfrsupport.com. For only $100 she did a Skype call with me and explained all those yellows and reds, and what they meant.

sample of my report from Sterlings' App

Now I am understanding a bit better!

All of this cost me under $220. What a steal!

But I do have some opinions on this matter, and please realize these are only my opinions.

1. Even if we have genetic mutations (the risk alleles in our DNA) does not mean they are expressing (ok this is fact... my opinion is coming don't worry ).

2. things like autism, schizophrenia, MPD, celiac, allergies, asthma, food intolerances, methylation issues, etc. have specific genes that the Human Genome Project has identified as correlation (or causation -- sometimes they can be the same, sometimes not)... This also is a fact....

3. I think... ok here is my opinion, lol.... that when you have a leaky gut (i.e. exposure to toxins, vaccinations, etc) they can trigger an autoimmune response that then can trigger the expressing of these genes.... therefore, autism may ensue, schizoprenia may ensue, anxiety attacks (holy cow that is me). Also, other things may trigger these genes to express, including trauma, long illness, stress, possibly vaccinations (which is a whole other subject I don't dare get into -- but it makes sense -- people say vaccines cause autism, but maybe there is a small amount of truth -- maybe the vaccines just triggered a genetic response? Maybe that explains why some people do seem to become autistic after the vaccines.... it is just a trigger, not a cause).

4. The GAPS diet, along with other "fix your gut" protocols, can actually make the gene "unexpress" (so this has been proven as well, that you can CURE celiac's disease -- and autism, and severe food allergies, etc). This doesn't mean that your genes have changed, but that you have fixed the issue that makes them express those health characteristics.

5. You also can "fix" the genetic expressions by supplementing... for example, with an MTHFR genetic mutation expressing, you are usually unable to convert certain B vitamins into their active forms... by taking active B vitamins (methyl folate instead of folic acid, for example, or methylcobalamin vs. cyanocobalamin -- B-12) you can reduce the symptoms. 

Isn't this stuff just fascinating? I sure think so!

To sum up, here is what I recommend you to do:

1. 23andme.com ($99)
2. Sterling's App ($20)
3. Consultation with Sterling ($100) 

 And be prepared to find the missing piece to your health puzzle -- the one you may have been struggling with most of your life!



About Me: Hi! I am Rebecca :) I am the owner of Purify Your Body Detox Foot Pads. I love natural health and wellness, and I love to eat real food. :) 

I love my family, and my pets. I actually love all animals -- they are much nicer than most humans! I don't watch TV and haven't watched a movie in the theater for more than 9 months. I would much rather read a book!

I love to garden and make homemade products -- body butter, toothpaste, perfume, cheese, yogurt, etc. It tastes better when it's made from scratch!  Contact me here: sales@purifyyourbody.com

B-12 - What Type is BEST for You?

Everyone knows that B-12 is the "energy" vitamin. And it also can be used as a hangover preventive. (Yes, I know, I am an enabler). Since I don't drink alcohol of any kind, and I hate it when my husband wakes up with a hangover because of a party we went to the night before, I bring B-12 and give it to him throughout the night.

What I found out that it does, is prevent your body from becoming dehydrated.... and that is the number one cause of hangovers. Between B-12 and drinking a glass of water for every two alcoholic drinks you consume, you should be fine the next morning (well, at least not with a severe hangover headache).

But that is not what this post is about. I want to tell you a teeny bit about methylation, and why you may be experiencing chronic fatigue, neuropathy in your nerves (numbness, tingling, and even pain) and other symptoms of B vitamin deficiencies.

Doctors and researches have concluded that up to 45% of the population has methylation issues. This is a genetic factor, where some genes disrupt the normal cycle. The most common being MTHFR gene mutation. But what does that mean in layman's terms?

• If you take B-vitamins, they most likely are the form of folic acid (vs. methyl folate), cyanocobalamin (vs methylcobalamin), B9 (vs. P-5-P) and so on. Go ahead, check your vitamins.... 
• If you don't methylate correctly, no matter what your serum levels are of these tests, you may be experiencing deficiency -- because your body cannot convert these vitamins into their active forms -- a part of your body's methylation cycle that should normally be able to convert those vitamins, and allow your body to use them.
• If your doctor is not aware of these issues (many doctors aren't, as the MTHFR genes have only recently been discovered this generation, thanks to the Human Genome Project), then you may be sent away with a prescription you don't need, to try to mask your symptoms. 

One of the biggest examples is peripheral neuropathy. There are three main causes of this debilitating disease:

1. Alcoholism
2. Diabetes
3. B-12 deficiency.

Let's take my family history as an example. My grandmother had severe peripheral neuropathy, my dad currently has it pretty bad, and my brother and I started showing symptoms a few years ago. (Me, about 9 years ago when I was around 30, although my brother started showing symptoms in his 20s).

So, when I went to the doctor, we ruled out #1 and #2. And we did a B-12 blood test. Came back normal. Of course it did, I was taking my vitamins every day! I was sent on my way, diagnosed as idiopathic neuropathy (idiopathic is just a label they throw on when they don't know what causes the symptoms).

Neither my brother or my dad have alcoholism, diabetesm or a B-12 deficiency as caused by  lack of B vitamins. However, I am willing to bet that they have methylation issues (they haven't gotten tested, although I have, and I have a ton of mutated methylation genes. Some of them are homozygous (meaning I got one risk allele from each parent) so for sure my father has some.

So what is one possibility that is going on with this neuropathy? Simple. My blood has enough of the B vitamins but is UNABLE TO CONVERT THEM TO THEIR USABLE FORM. So the blood test is no good for people with methylation issues.

What do you do? Simple. Take the B-vitamins in their ACTIVE FORM. There are many types of B-12:

1. Cyanocobalamin (Non-active form, but most common)
2. Methylcobalamin (Most common active form)
3. Adenosylcobalamin (Active form - harder to find)
4. Hydrosylcobalamin (Active form - also hard to find)

The one I want to talk about is methylcobalamin. When you order B-12 from the health food store or online, most likely it is cyanocobalamin. But your body cannot use that form very easily, especially if you have methylation issues.

So my recommendation is to use methylcobalamin or one of the other active forms of B-12 listed above. Avoid the cyanocobalamin.

Another important B-vitamin to take in its active form is folate (B-9). Avoid folic acid, which is a synthetic version your body cannot assimilate.

And one more B-vitamin to take in active form is B-6, or P-5-P (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate).

These three B vitamins are extremely important to take in their active form.

Apex Natural sent me a bottle of Methyl B-12 lozenges to try out. They taste great, have methylcobalamin, but they also have folic acid and B-6 in their inactive forms. Which to me, sort of defeats the purpose of taking the active form of B-vitamins.



Since I am not a doctor of methylation, and I am only a layman who has studied and has interest in this subject for my own personal health, I would have to say that this brand is ok, but definitely not for someone who has the MTHFR gene mutation, and needs to stay away from folic acid.

It would have been better if this only included B-12 (methylcobalamin). But, if you only want to focus on the methyl form of B-12, this is an awesome option for you.


About Me: Hi! I am Rebecca :) I am the owner of Purify Your Body Detox Foot Pads. I love natural health and wellness, and I love to eat real food. :) 

I love my family, and my pets. I actually love all animals -- they are much nicer than most humans! I don't watch TV and haven't watched a movie in the theater for more than 9 months. I would much rather read a book!

I love to garden and make homemade products -- body butter, toothpaste, perfume, cheese, yogurt, etc. It tastes better when it's made from scratch!  Contact me here: sales@purifyyourbody.com


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Picture of Purify Your Body Detox Foot Pads from My Toes

I woke up this morning, (which is a great thing, this waking up every morning).... Better than the alternative! I went to the bathroom to take my detox foot pads off. I had them on my toes last night, along with another pair on my heels. Here is a picture of the foot pads I took off my toes. You can even see the blue nail polish that was peeled off (thanks to Honeybee Gardens non-toxic nail polish -- I like that they are non-toxic and all natural but the nail polish doesn't stay on too well).

Reflexology Chart for Toes.

So, what areas of the body do the toes represent? This is an easy one to remember, because it is everything from your neck up, including:

• Your thyroid
• Your mouth/jaw (TMJ/dental fillings/cavities)
• Your ears (chronic ear infections?)
• Your sinuses and nasal passages
• Your eyes 
• Your BRAIN

And so this is one of the best places to wear the detox foot pads.

I have been wearing my detox foot pads on and off for years -- over 10 years in fact. After taking the foot pads off my toes, only rarely do they have any white spots on them like they did this morning. I wear them about 2-3 times per week. And last night I wore them for 9 hours! So this is good news.

Why am I so excited about white spots on my foot pads?

Because I have detox issues. My body doesn't detox as well as a normal person's body does. Folks with methylation issues most always have this issue. I know this is another topic, and one that I want to write about someday, but it all started out when I learned about MTHFR gene mutations, and how those genes were discovered in the Human Genome project -- and some folks say up to 40% of the population may be affected.

Which is why even if you are doing everything right in your life -- avoiding as many toxins as you can in your environment, in your home and in your food -- and you are still sick -- this may be the cause.

I was tested through www.23andme.com and then learned about what my gene mutations meant at www.mthfrsupport.com using Sterling's App.

So this is good that there are some "white" areas on the foot pads. I may be getting ahead of the game of detoxing. Me against the world of toxins. And I may be winning!