My answer to What is the significance of methylation status in an individual with early autoimmune symptoms?

Answer by Connie b. Dellobuono:

Dr Lawrence Wilson wrote:

Methylation is one of the body’s most important and most common chemical processes. It is the addition of a methyl group, or CH3, to many chemical compounds to change their solubility, or for other reasons that are explained below.

To assist methylation, a supplement of TMG or trimethylglycine is now part of every nutritional balancing program. This was not part of Dr. Paul Eck’s original research. TMG supplements were added to the program in early 2013.

A SAMPLING OF METHYLATION PROCESSES

Methylation processes occur in hundreds of essential chemical reactions in our bodies. To give you an idea of their importance, here is a small sampling of them:

1. Use in genetics. Methylation is key for making all the chemicals in our bodies. Here is how it is involved:

A. It is used to stop certain viruses that can damage the DNA.

B. It helps grow the chemicals.

C. It stops the production of trophoblast. This has to do with cancer.

D. It suppresses replication of DNA in areas where the body does not want it replicated.

E. Extremely important for neurological chemicals.

F. Extremely important for formation of some chemicals in the blood.

G. It inactivates replication of the X chromosome, which is very important.

H. It is used to cause a genetic trait to come from only one parent, and not both.

I. It prevents some genetic diseases.

J. It helps protect the tags or telomeres on the genes. For more on this subject, please read Telomeres and Geneticson this website.

2. Detoxification. Methylation is a primary method of removing toxins in the phase 2 liver detoxification system of the body. More precisely, methylation converts toxins of all kinds from insoluble, less soluble or fat-soluble compounds into water-soluble compounds. This, in turn, allows the body to eliminate them more easily.

Methylation, in this sense, is somewhat like first tagging toxic substances and then altering them in a way that allows the body to identify them as toxins, and then to eliminate them rapidly and simply. Larger molecules are then able to be eliminated through the bile, while smaller ones pass into the bloodstream and are removed by the kidneys in the urine.

3. Neurotransmitter synthesis and utilization. Methylation is part of the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin. This is one reason why taking trimethylglycine or TMG can help a person relax. However, relaxation may also occur because TMG assists with liver detoxification.

4. Folate metabolism and cardiovascular health. Methylation is involved in converting homocysteine, which is a dangerous amino acid when in excess, back into methionine, an essential amino acid. This, in turn, is converted to other amino acids in various biochemical pathways.

About 50% of the earth population appear to have genetic variants of the MTHFR enzyme causing them to have some difficulty resynthesizing methionine from homocysteine. This can be a factor in cardiovascular disease, mental illness such as depression, and perhaps other health conditions such as fatigue and exhaustion.

While doctors may tell you the problem is “genetic” and therefore incurable, our evidence is that it is not incurable. The problem with the RNA can be due to toxic metals such as copper and mercury, that somehow interfere with genetic transcription, or the “writing” of the RNA from the DNA. For much more on this subject, please read MTHFR Defects on this website. In other words, the problem is not due to defective DNA, which would be hard to change. It is due to zinc deficiency and other problems involved in the copying of the DNA. For more on genetics, read Genetic Defects And Nutritional Balancing on this site.

5. Hormonal regulation. By assisting the liver and for other reasons, methylation is involved in balancing hormones, such as restoring the proper balance of estrogens, for example. This helps reduce the tendency for cancer and for many other health conditions related to a hormone imbalance.

6. Reduces inflammation. This occurs for many reasons. Among them are toxin removal, hormone balancing, neurotransmitter synthesis, and others.

7. Helps protect the mitochondria. By protecting the mitochondria, methylation helps adaptive energy production greatly. Without adequate methylation, one becomes very tired.

8. Restores the level of SAMe in the spinal fluid and elsewhere. SAMe or S-adensylmethionine is a common chemical found in the body. It functions as a methyl donor once it has been restored to functioning by the action of methyl groups. It can be given as a supplement to prevent depression, and it has other mental and physical effects on the body. It is quite costly, so we do not use it and instead we use other methyl donors such as trimethylglycine or TMG, folate,methionine, cysteine, taurine and others.

9. Required to make coenzyme Q10. This vital substance is needed for heart health and for energy production within the mitochondria.

10. Tends to increase muscle mass. This can be important in wasting diseases such as cancer, and for general health. This aspect of protein synthesis aided by extra methylation is widely known in the livestock industry. Methylatingagents are added to some animal feeds.

11. Other. Methylation reactions are very common in the body and involved in most body functions, to some degree. This is why compromised methylation can cause or contribute to almost all health conditions. Most people today have inadequate methylation, and this is why we supplement with TMG.

METHYLATION BIOCHEMISTRY

To facilitate the attachment of a methyl group to a toxin or other molecule, methyl groups or CH3 can take the form of an anion with 7 or 8 free electrons, or a cation with 6 free electrons. The words anion and cation have to do with the electrical charge of the molecule and nothing more. The correct electrical charge is required for the methyl group to attach to a variety of toxins and other molecules in the body.

EVERYONE NEEDS MORE METHYL GROUPS

Most everyone, in our experience, does not have enough methyl groups. This is the case even if a person is healthy, and even if a person eats a very healthful diet. This may be due to some type of pollution that interferes with the body’s production of methyl groups.

It might also be due to a toxin or stress that everyone is exposed to today that increases the body’s need for methyl groups. This is a current subject of research in nutritional balancing science.

What is the significance of methylation status in an individual with early autoimmune symptoms?