MTHFR and Your Mental Health

MTHFR is the acronym for both a gene and enzyme that plays an essential role in our bodily functions. It is associated with severe conditions from cardiovascular and thromboembolic diseases to mental health problems.

Why You Should Get Tested

As you might remember from school, genes are parts of our DNA that impact our particular characteristics like hair, skin and eye color, face shape, height, and weight. These can also affect other less apparent features than physical appearance, like whether we like the taste of cilantro, or how likely we are to encounter specific health problems down the line. 

A gene mutation is a natural process that changes our sequence of DNA. Since MTHFR is a gene, we inherit MTHFR mutations from our parents and receive one copy from each. If and when we inherit both mutations, it’s worth understanding the potential risks, treatments, and testing available.

Anybody that has been diagnosed with mental illness associated with an MTHFR mutation, such as ADHD, autism, bipolar, depression, or schizophrenia could benefit from understanding more about it or purchasing an MTHFR test kit.

It’s also important to know that MTHFR mutations can affect a person’s response to medication like antidepressants and chemotherapy. With 40 million Americans taking psychiatric drugs and 40% of the population having some form of MTHFR mutation, this is far more prevalent than most people are aware. 

Mental Health and Other Diseases

Under normal circumstances, the MTHFR gene will produce sufficient enzyme quantities to function well. In mental health, one such function of importance is the conversion of amino acids. These amino acids then go on to make proteins and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

Anybody with mental health problems probably knows how important those can be and, as a result, this can increase issues, especially when impaired.

It’s not all bad, though because specific mutations can actually decrease the risk of various types of leukemia and cancer, but it does make one realize the potential costs and benefits of being tested.

It’s worth taking some basic steps to reduce risks associated with the mutation and improve general health. These include:

Home Testing

Testing historically required blood to be taken by a medical professional and could be costly and inconvenient, as many insurance companies don’t cover it, but is now more accessible than ever with home MTHFR test kits available that require little more than a swab with a cotton bud.

Diet

It’s obviously advisable to eat a healthy diet in general, but those with MTHFR mutations should focus on folate-rich foods like beans, broccoli, leafy greens, and lentils. Avoiding processed food is essential as well, and taking supplements may be extremely helpful.

Pregnancy

Those who have had multiple unexpected miscarriages should undoubtedly consider getting tested, and others planning on giving birth may benefit from aspirin or blood thinners to reduce risks of an early miscarriage.

Of course, as with any medical-related decisions, it is crucial to seek advice from a licensed professional and seek as much knowledge and as many available options as possible.

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