Methylation: Why It Matters For Your Immunity, Inflammation & More - mindbodygreen
Methylation is the latest buzzword in the health industry,
and for good reason. It's a biochemical process involved in almost all
of your body's functions!
What is methylation? Without getting
too technical, methylation is the addition of a single carbon and three
hydrogen atoms (called a methyl group) to another molecule. The removal
of a methyl group is called demethylation. Think of billions of little
on/off switches inside your body that control everything from your
stress response and how your body makes energy from food, to your brain
chemistry and detoxification. That's methylation and demethylation.
Methyl groups control:
you have a shortage of methyl groups, or your methylation cycle is
interrupted, any or all of these processes can become compromised, and
you could get sick. Research has clearly linked impaired methylation with autoimmune conditions.
Methylation
and glutathione. Improving methylation is important for everyone, but
it's especially important if you have an autoimmune condition. One of
the reasons is the role of methylation in the production and recycling
of glutathione, the body's master antioxidant
and master "splinter" remover. Glutathione directly neutralizes free
radicals, reduces inflammation and assists in the role of other
antioxidants like vitamin C, E and lipoic acid.
Glutathione
contains sulfur groups, which are sticky compounds that adhere to
toxins and heavy metals and carry them out of the body. This is a good
thing and you want lots of it! I haven't met anyone (including me) with
any type of autoimmune condition that has adequate methylation and
levels of glutathione.
In a perfect world, your body makes its
own glutathione from the amino acids cysteine, glycine and glutamine,
then recycles it via methylation using methyl donors like vitamin B12,
folate, betaine and other nutrients. Under normal conditions, your body
makes and recycles enough glutathione to handle all the toxins that
you're exposed to. However, if you have a high toxic body burden, or a
part of the methylation cycle is disrupted, you can get very sick.
Methylation is the latest buzzword in the health industry,
and for good reason. It's a biochemical process involved in almost all
of your body's functions!
What is methylation? Without getting
too technical, methylation is the addition of a single carbon and three
hydrogen atoms (called a methyl group) to another molecule. The removal
of a methyl group is called demethylation. Think of billions of little
on/off switches inside your body that control everything from your
stress response and how your body makes energy from food, to your brain
chemistry and detoxification. That's methylation and demethylation.
Methyl groups control:
- The stress (fight-or-flight) response
- The production and recycling of glutathione — the body's master antioxidant
- The detoxification of hormones, chemicals and heavy metals
- The inflammation response
- Genetic expression and the repair of DNA
- Neurotransmitters and the balancing of brain chemistry
- Energy production
- The repair of cells damaged by free radicals
- The immune response, controlling T-cell production, fighting infections and viruses and regulating the immune response
you have a shortage of methyl groups, or your methylation cycle is
interrupted, any or all of these processes can become compromised, and
you could get sick. Research has clearly linked impaired methylation with autoimmune conditions.
Methylation
and glutathione. Improving methylation is important for everyone, but
it's especially important if you have an autoimmune condition. One of
the reasons is the role of methylation in the production and recycling
of glutathione, the body's master antioxidant
and master "splinter" remover. Glutathione directly neutralizes free
radicals, reduces inflammation and assists in the role of other
antioxidants like vitamin C, E and lipoic acid.
Glutathione
contains sulfur groups, which are sticky compounds that adhere to
toxins and heavy metals and carry them out of the body. This is a good
thing and you want lots of it! I haven't met anyone (including me) with
any type of autoimmune condition that has adequate methylation and
levels of glutathione.
In a perfect world, your body makes its
own glutathione from the amino acids cysteine, glycine and glutamine,
then recycles it via methylation using methyl donors like vitamin B12,
folate, betaine and other nutrients. Under normal conditions, your body
makes and recycles enough glutathione to handle all the toxins that
you're exposed to. However, if you have a high toxic body burden, or a
part of the methylation cycle is disrupted, you can get very sick.
