Methylation imbalance and how it impacts everyday life for children and adults
If you or your child experiences low mood and anxiety or presents with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Autistic traits, there may be a methylation imbalance. This root biochemical cause of difficulties is commonly overlooked, yet addressing it can help you or your child to thrive.
What’s methylation and why does it matter?
Imbalances in our behaviour (e.g lower mood, sleep disturbances, anxiety) can sometimes be driven by imbalances in our methylation status.
Every cell in the body has a methylation process, which happens around the clock. It is as fundamental as breathing; you cannot survive without the methylation cycle. It supports the detoxification process through the production of key intrinsic antioxidants. These turn genes/proteins on and off - a process known as epigenetics (changing the expression of our genes). Dr Kara Fitzgerald, in her latest book “Younger You”, describes DNA as our hardware and methylation as the software. For this reason methylation plays a role in creating the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals such as serotonin (linked to mood) and dopamine (linked to one’s ability to focus and be motivated) and GABA (calming/ability to relax).
How can we support our methylation cycle to perform optimally for us?
Eating foods rich in the nutrients zinc, vitamin B6 and B12, choline, methionine, folate are key to supporting our methylation process.
We know that Liver is the super methyl donor nutrient and is abundant also in choline, vitamin B12 and folate.
Dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are essential and shiitake mushrooms also are a wonderful food source, packed with nutrients. Seeds and nuts are an easy way to provide these essential nutrients. Keep a bag in your car or handbag, as a boost throughout the day. Eggs are an excellent source (recommended 5-10 weekly!) as well as one beetroot a day. Daily targets should include seven cups of vegetables.
Additionally, a few cups of green tea is recommended and don’t forget the spices - turmeric in particular is very helpful for supporting methylation. Turmeric is a super spice!
Here are the top foods to integrate into your diet:
Zinc:
Oysters
Game and beef meat
Shellfish: Crab and Lobster
Lamb/ pork
Baked beans
Cashews and pumpkin seeds
Vitamin B6:
Liver
Chickpeas
Breakfast cereal
Salmon
Turkey
Chicken breast
Banana
Spinach
Squash
Cottage cheese
Vitamin B12:
Liver
Clams
Trout/ salmon
Cheeseburger
Haddock
Fortified cereal
Yoghurt
Beef
Tuna
Ham
Milk/ eggs
Chicken 1/2 breast
Choline:
Liver
Eggs
Salmon/ tuna/ cod
Shitake mushrooms
Soybeans
Beef
Wheatgerm
Chicken and Turkey
Cruciferous vegetables: Cauliflower/ Broccoli/ Brussel sprouts
Kidney beans
Almonds
Methionine:
Eggs and meats provide 300 mg per serving
1-300 mg per serving:
Sunflower seeds
Tofu
Edamame
Black Beans
Refried Beans
Cashews
Folate:
Lentils
Liver
Beetroot
Kidney beans
Asparagus
Brussel Sprouts
Broccoli
Leafy greens
Citrus fruits
Nuts and seeds
Eggs
The following lifestyle factors are also key to the methylation process:
Exercise:
This has a massive influence on DNA methylation and turns on the good genes.
People who regularly exercise are biologically younger. (Geroscience)
Explore a good healthy exercise programme -that involves a good range: eg weights/ roller skating/ cycling/ resistance training, but be mindful of not over-exercising.
Sleep:
Poor sleep is ageing and 7-8 hours is required. Make sure your room is dark and not too hot. A cool room is recommended. Limit your screen time and limit food intake, nothing for 3 hours before you go to bed. Get to bed on time so you have the space to sleep 7-8 hours.
Relaxation:
Stress in small brief bursts can be a motivator - it can aid detox and performance. But excessive fight/flight response in sedentary format (ie not moving) creates toxic stress. This is what we explore in our Neurodevelopmental Programmes, identifying if the Moro reflex is present which, beyond approximately 4 months of age, works against the nervous system.
Meditation can help to calm the body’s stress response: aim for 10/20 mins twice a day. Herbert Renson, a Harvard Physician, explored this.
Breathing exercises can also be hugely beneficial and are also gaining popularity - Wim Hoff is becoming more widely known.
(https://www.wimhofmethod.com/)
Yoga and Tai Chi can change gene expression.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3629142/)
If you suspect you may have a methylation issue, we recommend that you are checked by a health professional. At The Key Clinic, we are able to test your methylation cycle using our Intelligent Health Decoding and pinpoint what your unique biochemical imbalances are. We then provide you with personalised nutritional and nutrient supplementation protocol to support you in reaching your full potential.