MTHFR gene mutation and Hypothyroidism

I have been searching for answers to the mystery of Type 2 Hypothyroidism and finally found out about the MTHFR gene, short for Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, from my new Naturopath.  Look at the list of symptoms and see how many you have.  This list is not complete by any means and Dr Ben works on it all the time.

MTHFR Mutations and the Conditions They Cause
http://mthfr.net/mthfr-mutations-and-the-conditions-they-cause/2011/09/07/
Updated: November 16, 2012

1. Autism
2. Addictions: smoking, drugs, alcohol
3. Down’s syndrome
4. Miscarriages
5. Pulmonary embolisms
6. Depression in Post-Menopausal Women
7. Schizophrenia
8. Fibromyalgia
9. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
10. Chemical Sensitivity
11. Parkinson’s
12. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
13. Pre-eclampsia
14. Stroke
15. Spina bifida
16. Esophageal Squamous cell carcinoma
17. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
18. Vascular Dementia
19. Bipolar disorder
20. Colorectal Adenoma
21. Idiopathic male infertility
22. Blood clots
23. Rectal cancer
24. Meningioma
25. Glioma
26. Congenital Heart Defects
27. Infant depression via epigenetic processes caused by maternal depression
28. Deficits in childhood cognitive development
29. Gastric Cancer
30. Migraines with aura
31. Low HDL
32. High homocysteine
33. Post-menopausal breast cancer
34. Atherosclerosis
35. Oral Clefts
36. Type 1 Diabetes
37. Epilepsy
38. Primary Closed Angle Glaucoma
39. Alzheimer’s
40. Tetralogy of Fallot
41. Decreased telomere length
42. Potential drug toxicities: methotrexate, anti-epileptics
43. Cervical dysplasia
44. Increased bone fracture risk in post-menopausal women
45. Multiple Sclerosis
46. Essential Hypertension
47. Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma
48. Prostate Cancer
49. Premature Death
50. Placental Abruption
51. Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
52. Methotrexate Toxicity
53. Nitrous Oxide Toxicity
54. Heart Murmurs
55. Tight Anal Sphincters
56. Tongue Tie
57. Midline Defects (many are listed above)
58. Behcet’s Disease
59. Ischemic Stroke in Children
60. Unexplained Neurologic Disease
61. Asthma
62. Shortness of Breath

“I believe the MTHFR gene mutation is a highly significant public health problem that is completely ignored. Yet, millions are suffering from pulmonary embolisms, addictions, fibromyalgia, miscarriages, schizophrenia, severe depression, cancer and autism to name a few.  

What do these conditions have in common?  

They all may be linked to a MTHFR gene mutation in the individual expressing these symptoms and health conditions.”  Dr. Ben Lynch   http://mthfr.net/

“What does the MTHFR gene do?

The MTHFR gene codes the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This enzyme reduces b9 (folate in natural form or folic acid in supplemental form) into 5-MTHF. 5-MTHF interacts with homocysteine and methionine to produce SAMe. SAMe is a critical methyl donor crucial to the body's detoxification. Also, because SAMe is created from homocysteine, it automatically reduces homocysteine levels.

What it is: What happens when the mthfr mutation occurs?

When a person has a damaged MTHFR gene, that gene has reduced ability to process folate. This is usually not a severe problem with just one damaged copy, although there is emerging research that may prove otherwise. Having two damaged copies, however, can result in severe folate deficiency.”
http://www.squidoo.com/mthfr-gene-mutation-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-care

“What does the MTHFR mutation do?  Having a MTHFR mutation means that the enzyme that converts folic acid into its activated form (5-MTHF) acts in a sluggish manner.  Having two defects at the same point makes it more sluggish than just having one.  As taught in basic chemistry, enzymes are the “rate limiting factor” to any biochemical reaction.  Thus when an enzyme is sluggish, the biochemical reaction that relies upon it occurs slower than it should.  When one pathway is working slower than others, the other pathways that depend upon it either back up or find a detour to shunt their excess product.  Similar to what you may see on a highway, detour pathways are usually not as efficient, using more energy (ATP), and are prone to back ups, often causing new problems to be managed.

The MTHFR enzyme metabolizes folic acid into 5-MTHF, needed to combine with homocysteine to break it down and to facilitate methylation processes in the body.  Thus, what is often seen with MTHFR mutations are: elevated homocysteine levels and defective methylation.*  High homocysteine is associated with increased heart disease risk, strokes and blood clots.  When the MTHFR mutation is correctly supported through vitamin supplementation (nutritionally bypassing the mutated enzyme and redirecting the pathway with B12 and sometimes P5P), homocysteine levels decrease, often quickly and dramatically, and patients see results clinically.

Methylation is required for many processes in the body, from breaking down histamine, serotonin and dopamine to turning DNA on and off.  Consequently, having a defective methylation capability is associated with psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, depression and bipolar, as well as autoimmunity disorders, ADD, autism, spina bifida, Down’s syndrome, miscarriages, and cancer.  Defective methylation can come from not having the 5-MTHF or not having enough B12, so the disorders and symptoms associated with the MTHFR mutations often overlap with those due to B12 deficiency.  Many may simultaneously have deficiencies in both.  As B12 helps to redirect the detour to the more efficient pathway, I always recommend that my patients with MTHFR mutations take both 5-MTHF and B12.

I find that knowing your MTHFR status is far more empowering than it is scary.  Rather than keeping your head in the sand, it allows you to provide your body with what it needs to function most efficiently and hopefully prevent disease.  Finding that you have a mutation, or even two, also encourages you to get your other family members tested.  Parents and siblings may likely also carry this mutation and often benefit greatly from the additional knowledge and support.”

http://healingthewholechild.com/2012/03/01/mthfr-mutations/

“If we can prevent the turning on of the MTHFR gene mutation in unborn infants, how huge would that be? MASSIVE.

If we can reduce mental illness, addictions, cancer and cardiovascular disease related deaths, how huge would that be? MASSIVE.

If we can get MTHFR mutations on the map and get standardized medicine to begin screening for it, we can truly make a difference. The lab test to determine which MTHFR mutations are present is only about $150.00. That is nothing.” Dr. Ben Lynch   http://mthfr.net/