For many people, energy levels are like a coin flip. You get up everyday not knowing on what side you’re going to land on.
Are you going to wake up full of energy and spend your whole day being productive and active, or are you going to wake up tired and fatigued, and spend your day feeling extremely lethargic?
A part of optimizing your health is figuring out how to always end up on the good side of the coin, but it can be hard to pinpoint what gets you there if you don’t know how energy production works.
And although you might think your energy levels are already great, there’s a possibility that you haven’t even reached your full potential.
I was recently on an episode of the Upgraded Executive podcast with Nick Powell, and he shared a really interesting story about how he “felt fine” and thought his energy levels were optimal.
He ended up using SelfDecode, which told him that his body didn’t efficiently absorb Vitamin B12 and his methylation levels were low, two extremely important factors related to energy production. After checking his lab results, he found out that he hadn’t even come close to reaching his maximum energy levels.
The funny thing is, when Nick’s doctors looked at his b12 levels from his blood tests, they said he was within the “normal” range. His levels were around 290, which technically falls within the normal range of 200 – 900 pg/mL. But, for optimal energy levels you should really aim for 500 pg/ml or higher.
Listen to Nick Powell’s full story and see how he used SelfDecode to surge his energy!
Methylation, The MTHFR Gene, And Energy
Methylation is an extremely important process that’s used for many different bodily functions. Think of it as the process that’s responsible for turning certain genes “on or off” based on environmental cues.
Your methylation levels can have a huge impact on your energy! Lower methylation levels result in high homocysteine, heart disease, lower energy production, and more.
One gene that plays a big part in methylation is the MTHFR gene.
The MTHFR gene codes for MTHFR enzymes, which give your body instructions on how to convert folic acid into methyl-folate, the active form of Vitamin B9 and an essential amino acid used in the methylation process.
There are certain genetic variations of the MTHFR gene that are linked to lower MTHFR function, which means less energy.
This gene is so important that SelfDecode has a full DNA Wellness Report that only focuses on your MTHFR genotype and provides recommendations on how to overcome any negative variants you could have.
Unfortunately, I have both negative alleles for rs1801133 (an MTHFR related SNP), which decreases my function by 68 – 85%!
One of the top recommendations in my MTHFR Report was to supplement with Vitamin B complex, as they work together to support methylation and good health.
Vitamin B12 & Its Role In Energy
Vitamin B12 is essentially the fuel that the body uses to convert folate to methyl-folate.
It’s not naturally produced, so you’d have to supply the body with B12 through foods like beef or fish, or through supplements.
There are a lot of genes and genetic variations that can have a huge impact on how well your body absorbs and recycles Vitamin B12 for effective energy production.
The FUT2 and FUT6 genes form an enzyme that alters proteins to create a more hospitable environment for gut flora.
Then, the TCN1, TCN2, and CUBN form proteins that enable B12 to be transported into cells for the methylation cycle to occur.
I know, things are starting to sound a little complicated.
That’s why we’ve had our scientists do all of the hard work for you. You just have to read your personalized report! For example, our Vitamins DNA Wellness Report looks at your genotypes for each of the relevant genes, determines how well your body absorbs Vitamin B12 and gives you recommendations you can easily implement to improve and increase your energy!
3 Steps To Boost Your Energy
1. Look at your genes. Find out what variants you have for the genes responsible for methylation and Vitamin B12 absorption!
2. Monitor your labs. Energy is influenced by a lot of other factors too, so it’s important to ensure that your markers stay in an optimal range. (you’ll want to look at lab markers such as B12, folate, serum iron, ferritin, and a full thyroid panel)
3. Make supplement, dietary or lifestyle changes. Be sure to make changes that are tailored to your specific genes and lab results to get the best results!
Since our main mission is to help people like you optimize your health, SelfDecode wants to help you take your first step towards that goal by helping you analyze your genes and get to the root cause of your low energy levels.
