Genetics and Mood
Genes are like instruction manuals for the body, they are pre-designed programs available for use when we need to make products or perform tasks on a cellular level. Enzymes are just one of many products our body needs to make to metabolise or break down food into usable forms. A good example is MTHFR, which is the acronym for an enzyme responsible for converting vitamin B9 (folate) into a usable or “active” form.
Protein is made up of compounds called amino acids which are required for many essential processes in the body including detoxification. Homocysteine is one amino acid that should be present in small amounts in the body. Active folate along with other nutrients B6 and B12 ensure homocysteine is converted into methionine, which is essential for several processes in the body including energy production, detoxification, and neurotransmitter production.
Genetic mutations that inhibit these processes have been linked to many health issues including, mental health disorders, cardiovascular disease (CVD), birth defects, digestive dysfunction, chronic pain and fatigue to name a few. Consistently high levels of homocysteine can also lead to low levels of B12 which has its own set of issues including nerve damage.
Other common factors that contribute to raised homocysteine levels include health conditions as well as red meat, alcohol, smoking, caffeine, and certain medications. Defective genes mean that poor diet and lifestyle habits have more of a negative impact compared with individuals not genetically affected. A person with the MTHFR gene mutation would be more prone to depression from consuming alcohol than others. Ironically people with the mutation are more likely to have addictive tendencies because of deficient neurotransmitter production.
Up to 50% of the population could carry this mutation making them more susceptible to disease and chronic physical or mental illness. Nutritional Medicine practitioners take into account the individual's family history as well as past and current health states to try and establish if there may be a common link causing multiple disorders. Testing may be recommended to establish whether one carries the defective MTHFR gene, it is relatively inexpensive and straight forward. Treatment options include supplementation with the active form of folate as well as other supportive nutrients.