Your DNA drives every process in your body, providing a unique set of instructions to each and every one of your cells.
These instructions turn specific genes on or off, depending upon each cell’s particular function. Your cells receive these instructions by way of an important process called “methylation”.
What Is Methylation?
Methylation occurs when a methyl group (which is simply one carbon atom combined with three hydrogen atoms) is added onto a molecule. The kinds of molecules that methyl groups are added to include DNA, proteins, lipids, and neurotransmitters.
Think of methylation as if there were a sticky note attached to each gene in your DNA that tells that gene whether it should be on or off. In this analogy, that sticky note is actually a methyl group.
This process happens continually throughout your body and keeps everything running smoothly.
Why Is Methylation Important?
Methylation is vital to all of the various processes within your body that keep you healthy:
- Gene Regulation—Methylation helps to determine when it’s time for a particular gene to do its job. In other words, genes are not always active.
- DNA Repair and Stability—Methylation helps to maintain the integrity of your DNA by preventing disease-causing mutations.
- Detoxification—Methylation helps your body to process and eliminate toxins.
- Brain Function—Methylation is involved in the production of important neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters impact everything from the moods you experience to how well you focus. In other words, a healthy methylation process supports healthy brain function.
What Happens When Methylation Goes Awry?
When methylation is out of balance, various health issues can result.
At one extreme, overmethylation can suppress genes that should not be suppressed, leading to problems like anxiety, allergies, or an increased risk of certain cancers.
At the other extreme, undermethylation can allow harmful genes to be too active, which can cause conditions like depression, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders.
How to Support Healthy Methylation
The following are some strategies for supporting this essential process within your body:
- Nutrition—Maintain a balanced diet rich in leafy greens, whole grains, eggs, nuts, and lean proteins. Vitamins like B12, B6, folate, and choline are essential for healthy methylation.
- Lifestyle—Regular exercise, good sleep, and stress management help to keep methylation in balance. Avoid destructive habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
- Supplements—If you have a common genetic variation that affects how well your body methylates, supplements that include the nutrients listed above can be helpful. At Renew Youth, we can check to see if you have this genetic mutation, and we can make supplement recommendations that will compensate for it if necessary.
- Balanced hormones—Everything in the body works better when hormones are optimized. Methylation is no different. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help to restore hormones to optimal levels, thereby supporting healthy methylation.
The Key to Better Health
Methylation may be a relatively tiny biological process, but it has a huge impact on your health and affects virtually every system in your body.
Healthy lifestyle choices, proper nutrition, and balanced hormones can promote healthy methylation processes, as well as your overall wellbeing.
Want to learn about how you can achieve healthy methylation and balanced hormones? Renew Youth is here with the information you need. Call us at 800-859-7511 or use our easy contact form to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.