Approximately 50%-75% of Americans & 95% of Autistic (or Spectrum disorder) people have an MTHF-R genetic mutation. A person with this genetic mutation cannot produce the enzyme called Methyl Tetra Hydrate Folate Reductase (or MTHF-R for short). This enzyme is ESSENTIAL for methylation processes to occur in the body, which are critical for detoxification & wellness. These people are not methylating properly. Your body HAS to be able to break down folate (B9) to ultimately produce glutathione in the liver. Without glutathione, these people cannot properly eliminate toxins from their bodies, particularly through the digestive system (AKA: they are chronically toxic, sick & have liver & gut problems). In case you don't already know, MOST chronic health problems tie into the gut. Did you know that ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Atherosclerosis, Autism, Auto-immune disease, Bipolar & Schizophrenia & other mental illness, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, IBS, Osteoporosis, PCOS, Hormone Imbalances, and so many other "diagnoses" are primarily inflammatory bowel disorders! Emotions and Spiritual warfare also play a major role that most Doctors are ignoring. I always look at people Holistically. You cannot just focus on symptoms or the location of the pain or symptom. Now add those emotional and spiritual layers to a severely imbalanced gut (and add a genetic mutation that affects nearly EVERY process in the body), and you are now prey for the enemy to turn up the fear, doubt, frustration & hopelessness. Your mind can't work right at this point. BUT... YOU CAN HEAL FROM THIS!! Do not try to do this on your own. You need ask God what the FIRST step is. Ask HIM for a referral to a trusted Holistic Doctor. Adding psychotropic drugs (like anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds), pain meds or other Pharmaceutical drugs to this mess is a recipe for disaster. It does not HEAL the patient. It essentially tranquilizes & numbs them, adding more insult to injury behind the scenes. Eventually the list of meds gets longer and longer while the patient gets sicker and sicker. Medication does NOT get the the root of the problem, it masks it. You have to actively participate in your health journey to get well. You will have to change your diet and lay down some things you used to enjoy. But if we are being really honest with ourselves... cravings and "bad habits" are just a more palatable way of saying "lusts of the flesh". Jesus is bigger than every craving, habit, addiction, obstacle, imbalance & doubt we have. When you truly want to be well, you will do whatever it takes. When the pain of regret or illness surpasses the pain of change, you will change. And you can! Jesus is your secret weapon. I witness miracles every week! In my office, we help you change without shaming you or ever getting mad at you. We always point you back to the Lord and motivate you through LOVE & GRACE. Fear is not of God, so avoid those who use fear for motivation. 

Moving on. 95% of our neurotransmitters are produced in the gut (not the brain!). Our gut & brain develop from the SAME fetal tissue. It's all related. Don't roll your eyes. It's true! Remember, 95% of Autistic children have this (heterozygous or homozygous) genetic mutation. The prevelance of this genetic mutation seems to be one major reason why some people are really susceptible to adverse reactions to drugs, vaccines, GMO foods, processed grains & any other chemical or toxin, while other people do not react so significantly. Toxins literally build up in the body causing severe chronic illness, chronic pain syndromes, a compromised immune system, the inability to heal, microbiome imbalances & psychological issues ranging from mild to severe. Folic Acid, found in grains & most processed foods, builds up in these people's bodies instead of being assimilated, absorbed & utilized for healthy bodily functions. Furthermore, the toxic overload of this Folic Acid often masks dangerously LOW levels of the other B vitamins. I thought a bulleted list would be the easiest way to summarize...

MTHF-R MUTATIONS CAN AFFECT THE FOLLOWING: 

• MTHF-R Gene mutation >>  no MTHF-R enzyme >> malfunctioning methylation cycles in the body

• No/poor methylation >> no/low glutathione >> cannot detox, heal or fight inflammation, illness & other diseases properly
• Improper detoxification >> liver/kidney problems, inflammatory bowel & auto-immune disease (to name a few)
• Each person is affected differently depending on exact mutation, other genetic factors, diet, lifestyle & stress

• Impacts how our bodies utilize folic acid or folate
• ~50% Americans have an MTHF-R mutation
• 95% Autistic/Spectrum Disorder have MTHF-R mutation (heterozygous = less severe; homozygous = more severe)

• Alters hormones & other neurotransmitters (mental health, fertility, energy, focus, etc)
• Affects moods, mental health, sleep & memory

• Affects cholesterol levels & fat metabolism
• Affects overall metabolism, thyroid function & weight loss
• Affects proper production of digestive enzymes & Hydrochloric (stomach) acid
• Affects the metabolism & conversion of ALL nutrients into ACTIVE vitamins, minerals & proteins
• Affects ability to repair DNA & other cellular damage
• Potential for poor muscle growth, tone & stamina
• Chronic toxicity >> multiple "diagnoses" >> no one can figure out what's wrong
• Serious cases (those with 2 mutations or any person with chronic/serious illness) cannot properly rid their body of toxins such as Candida overgrowth, parasites, heavy metals, chemicals, viruses & bacteria without proper nutritional support, a grain-free or gluten-free, low-sugar, often dairy-free, whole food diet & other custom recommendations (restrictions or allowances) per each patient. *This needs to be managed professionally.

A genetic mutation does not mean you cannot be helped. In fact, this means that once you change your diet and provide the CORRECT nutrients, that you will see significant results in the body's ability to heal from all kinds of chronic and "un-curable" conditions!! There is hope! If you are sick or have any serious "diagnoses," there is much more work to be done in the gut and otherwise, so I highly recommend scheduling an appointment so that I can test you or consult with you to customize a plan specifically for you. If you are/were a patient and you were one of the hard cases that we just could NOT figure out why your blood pressure wouldn't heal, or your gut wouldn't completely heal, or we couldn't get cholesterol numbers into range, or you still feel "stuck"... I BET this is one piece of the puzzle, a key that could unlock a lot of healing pathways in your body. I'd love the opportunity to work with you again! Remember, 50% of the population has this, which means those numbers are only going to increase over the next few generations.

If you cannot get to the bottom of your health issues, assume you have this until you learn otherwise and take proper action (see below). Also, I would NOT VACCINATE your kids IF YOU or YOUR SPOUSE has this or any auto-immune condition. Get your child tested for this genetic mutation before making a decision that changes your child's life forever. If you have this or suspect you have this, then your kids are at even higher risk. Read my blog "Educate Before You Vaccinate" for more information. 
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Watch:  The Animated Genome to understand what a genome is and why it matters to each of us. This is an excellent 5-minute video in genetics and genomics.

WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?

1. Remove grains, alcohol, sugar & processed foods from your diet immediately
2. Avoid gluten and oats
3. Avoid environmental toxins & switch to natural cleaning products where possible
   
4. Switch to natural/safe skin & hair products
   
5. Exercise & sweat to detox (infrared saunas can help, too)
6. More sleep; better sleep
7. Increase greens & cruciferous veggies 
8. Decrease stress
9. Start taking methylfolate (Vitamin B9) and methylcobalamine (Vitamin B12) >> METHYL COMBO (see below)
   NOTE: A small percentqge of people with MTHF-R are overly sensitive to methylated B's. I am one of them. And we cannot tolerate ANY methylated products. Therefore, folic acid AND methylfolate, methylcobalamine, etc will make our symptoms worse. There is no way to test for this. You learn by trying. Start low and slow on dosing. If you feel anxious, angry/rage-y or worse, stop and consider making an appointment. There's more to your story :) 
10. Make an appointment if you are struggling still. If you have chronic issues, you need to get to the "root causes" and find real answers to what has built up in your system. This is my specialty and expertise :) You need a custom plan!

*You can purchase METHYL COMBO through my ONLINE STORE at wholesale cost. Please note: if you want custom care or have questions you will need to make an appointment. I must have Intake & Consent Forms & a thorough consult with you and test you to answer specific questions for you. 

* NOTE & 2024 UPDATE: While many want to know if they have this gene mutation, I now (in 2024) do not encourage people to spend money on this. I used to. But once you learn better, you do better. If you have chronic health issues, I know and assume you likely have this. I want ROOT CAUSE information. WHAT is stuck in your body? WHAT is causing your health issues? This is the better investment. I now focus on ROOT CAUSE lab testing. WHat is involved in this varies from person to person. But testing for MTHF-R and other genetics does NOT give me information to use to get you well. Identifications of the interferences hiding in your body DOES. And from there I can customize a very strategic detox and health plan just for YOU. 

Warning: Not all MD's will know about this mutation or believe it is matters. I have had patients who have been mocked, shamed or denied the test by their other Doctors (just FYI). I'm also hearing from patients that Medical Doctors are telling them that if they have only 1 mutation (heterozygous) that it has no affect on your health. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

The Gene Myth: Our DNA is NOT Our Destiny   (Article by Dr. Caroline Leaf)​
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Scientific research has shown that 87-98% of mental and physical and behavioral illnesses come from our thought life, which is indubitably a large and frightening number, and contrary to what many of us have been led to believe. In fact, few human processes are turned on or off by a single gene. Most processes require many genes acting together to produce a common result. Thus, the idea fired up by the media that there is a gene for this and a gene for that is incorrect. From second to second, day-by-day, genetic cascades are turned on or off by our own thoughts and experience. Yes, that means we are largely in control!

This picture of a multiplicity of genes that fluctuate moment by moment is at odds with the picture ingrained in the public mind: that genes determine everything from our physical characteristics to our behavior. It’s a highly fashionable concept that there is a “gene for this and a gene for that”, and, in particular, it removes personal responsibility from us as individuals. This is unhealthy and contrary to what God teaches us, which is to take responsibility for the thoughts we think and choices we make. Fortunately, since the 1970s research has been challenging the “gene myth” and now we know that the genes in the neurons of our brains are activated 87-98% by our thoughts with embedded emotions, which, of course, challenges the cause and effect model of genetic causation.

We now also understand that there is an electromagnetic component to every biological process. So, genes (biological) are how information is stored (like the hard drive of a computer) and energy (electromagnetism) is about how they communicate information (this is equivalent to plugging a computer in, which activates the hard drive to a functional level). Scientists are learning more and more about what turns genes on or off, or, in other words, what influences their activation. They have found that thinking and the subsequent thoughts we build are major activators. Thoughts and feelings turn sets of genes on and/or off in complex relationships. Moreover, science is discovering that, although we have a fixed set of genes in our chromosomes, it’s principally our thoughts that influence those genes which are active. This is an amazing, fundamental spiritual principle as well: “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. (Proverbs 23:7)

Our thoughts and emotions shape our minds as they stimulate the formation of thought networks (neural pathways) in our brains, which either reinforce old pathways or initiate new ones. In the same way our muscles bulk up with exercise, our neurons bulk up the more we think. So what we think becomes biology; biology is genes, hormones, neurons and electromagnetic systems and all the complex interactions between them. These interactions in turn produce the words and actions we speak and perform. Our genes are being changed moment by moment by the environment of our thoughts and feelings as well as the environment of our families, homes, work, friends and where we live! We assign mental and emotional meaning to facts that are as important to gene activation as the facts themselves. Even the thoughts you are having about the coming week (a week that hasn’t happened yet and may never happen!) are wired into your brain and act as stimulus for genetic expression.

So, when all is said and done, we are very much in control, and not victims of our biology.

If you are interested in learning more, you can watch Dr. Leaf talk about the Gene Myth on her weekly show.

WATCH THE WEEKLY DR. LEAF SHOW ON TBN.
​The Dr Leaf TV show airs every Wednesday on TBN at 3.30pm PST/5.30pm CST and 6.30pm EST. It also airs Internationally.