There was a point at the beginning of my weight loss journey where my losses trickled down to nothing. I was completely flummoxed. My diet was perfect, I still had 80 pounds to lose, and the scale wasn’t budging. It was aggravating and it wasn’t an accurate reflection of how hard I was working.
I spoke with my doctor, friends, and family; everyone was in agreement, I hit a plateau. If I just kept up the hard work I’d eventually start losing again. But it didn’t make sense to me! I was living on green juice and salad. Weight loss is a mathematical equation, you take in less energy than you put out and you lose weight. How was it possible that I was taking in less energy than I was using and yet my body stayed the same? Could it be there was a piece of the equation I was missing?
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What Is MTHFR?
MTHFR, though it sounds like a curse, is an abbreviation forMethylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase, a gene responsible for production of the MTHFR enzyme. This enzyme is important for processing amino acids and forms of the vitamin folate. People with the MTHFR mutation are unable to produce this enzyme properly. It’s estimated that 1 in every 3 individuals has the MTHFR genetic mutation.
But what does having incorrectly produced enzymes mean?When the MTHFR enzymes are functioning properly they are very efficient at processing folate/B9 and covering it into methylfolate. When they enzyme is mutated it decreases the bodies ability to convert by 30-70%!
What Is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is the oxidized form of Folate/B9. Once oxidized, Folate becomes a different substance and the body is unable to process or metabolize it, as it would folate.The body has noneed for folic acid. The body does, however, needFolate (which you obtain by eating a plant rich diet). In 1998, the FDA mandated the process of folic acid fortification for a wide variety of foods within the American market. The majority of the pre-packaged foods found in the grocery store have been through this process and fortified with folic acid.
This is bad news for people with the MTHFR mutation. People with this mutation are unable to rid their bodies of folic acid. It builds up, blocking folate receptors and wrecking havoc. This build up is known as folic acid toxicity.
Most lab tests do not distinguish between folic acid and folate when measuring blood levels. If folic acid intake is high, the results may show an individual has adequate amounts of folate. This is misleading as the individual actually has high levels of unusable folic acid, with little to no folate. This situation can cause the body to believe it is malnourished and result in unnecessary storing of energy (weight gain).
Folic Acid Toxicity
I have seen the devastating effects of folic acid toxicity and the dangers of taking the wrong multi/prenatal vitamin first hand. I’ve struggled with auto immune disease and obesity since I was a teenager.
When I hit my 20’s, my husband and I began having children. Unfortunately, we struggled with multiple losses. Only 3 of our 6 children are still here with us today.
We experienced B12 deficiency, midlinebirth defects, IUGR, and our second son was stillborn at 39 weeks.
My doctors performed all kinds of genetic testing. I was told that everything was perfectly fine, that everything came back normal, and that it was all just unfortunate happenstance. In actuality, they didn’t have any idea what was happening.
The Path Forward
I found a homeopathic/functional medicine practice. Their focus is on Whole Health Nutritional Therapy. When they heard my story, the very first thing they suggested was testing for the MTHFR mutation. Below are my results.
It didn’t come as a surprise to discover that I have two copies of the A1298C mutation. This means I inherited one from each of my parents. Because of this, I have 30-40% reduced enzyme functionality, trouble methylating B vitamins, and a complete intolerance for anything containing folic acid. Folic acid is essentially poison to my body.
For all the mamas out there, you know that folic acid is one of the many reasons your Doctor instructs you to take a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy. If the mothers body doesn’t have enoughfolate,it can be detrimental for mom and baby. Low amounts of folate can cause midline birth defects.
As explained above, the body doesn’t need folic acid, it needs folate.Taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid throughout my pregnancy was poisoning my body, creating an unhospital, uninhabitable environment for my babies.
Startlingly, this is not just the case for me but for an estimated 60% of the population! If you’ve struggled with infertility, birth defects, miscarriage, or infant loss, youneedto be tested for this mutation and begin supplementing accordingly.
How Do I Get Tested?
I used an online service called 23&Me. My physician recommends this form of testing for those who do not have the proper insurance coverage. Your insurance may cover an in office blood draw, that is certainly the best route!
The Good News!
The good news is that this mutation is very manageable with a diet rich in folate (while avoidingfolic acid)and the proper methylated vitamins!
Within two weeks of being on the proper supplements (I take this multi vitamin), Ibroke through my weight loss plateau and lost an astonishing 10 lbs in one week! The next week I lost 8 lbs!
My auto immune disease went into remission, I am off meds completely! It’s like someone handed me the key.
I understand this is a super heavy topic. I plan to unpack this topic through a series called “Let’s Talk MTHFR!” For more information on this subject Dr. Ben Lynch’s site is a wonderful resource and a great place to start, click here.
The Sum of All These Parts
Losing weight is hard enough without some hidden obstacle in your way! There’s a part of my heart that mourns the fact that I didn’t find out about this mutation as a child. I could have avoided so much heartbreak…
But then I wouldn’t be here with you, sharing my experiences, and hoping that through my story you might find the key to your unanswered questions as well.
As always, I wish you continued health on your wellness journey,
Brittany
For more information about what my diet is like, click here and for MTHFR friendly recipes, click here!
My kiddos also have the MTHFR Gene Mutation, they take this multi vitamin, click here!
*DISCLAIMER, I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR MEDICAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. ALL IDEASDISCUSSEDANDDESCRIBEDIN THIS POST ARE MY OWN AND ARE NOT MEANT TO TREAT OR DIAGNOSE. IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION PLEASE SPEAK WITH YOUR DOCTOR.
