These are the show notes for the podcast with Chris Masterjohn.
About Chris Masterjohn (00:00:00)
- Chris received his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut
- We had him on a previous podcast (Carnivore Diet problems)
Chris’ Recommendations for MTHFR (00:00:38)
- Two variants: C677T (more severe activity) & A1298C (less severe) – there are 6 combinations
- There is a gradient of MTHFR activity across the population, evenly divided by 15-20% each
- Chris released a choline calculator – which gives you a methylfolate score
- For low MTHFR activity, add an extra 1.6mg riboflavin to your diet, RDA is 1.3mg
- If you are doing any exercise 5 days a week, or actively losing weight, you are increasing your riboflavin needs by about 60%
- The best-documented thing that having low methylfolate does is increases your need for choline
- Cheat sheet (testing nutritional status version 1.2)
- There is betaine in foods and supplements, and you can partially substitute your choline requirement with it
Recommendations Summary: (00:23:29)
- Increase your riboflavin
- Get more choline, take some methylfolate and creatine
- That will counteract the predispositions towards MTHFR
Glycine (00:24:19)
- Glycine acts as a buffer of methyl groups
- Glycine is important as an inhibitory neurotransmitter
- When you have too little methyl groups, you excrete more glycine
Methylfolate (00:26:16)
- Methylfolate is the off switch when you don’t have enough methyl groups
- The ideal way to supplement is to put it in water, or take a time-release form
- You want the methylfolate to shut off the glycine buffering system
Psychiatric disorders (00:36:32)
- Methylation donates methyl groups to an enzyme called COMT
- This regulates dopamine in ways that influence mental stability and flexibility
- The data is messy when you’re looking at MTHFR in the psychiatric disorders
- COMT interacts with nutrition to impact the supply of methyl groups
- By impacting the relative stability and flexibility of the mind, you wind up with OCD, depression, and anxiety
Homocysteine (00:39:54)
- What is the optimal range?
- The healthiest youngest people have 5-9, 7 is considered the middle
Blood tests (00:47:40)
- Quest or LabCorp – insurance friendly
- Amino acids, organic acids, homocysteine, nutrients test
- Copper levels, serum B9
LDL Status (00:55:52)
- When you have inflammation or oxidative stress, that’s worse for heart disease
- Cholesterol tests on animals to find out the causes of atherosclerosis
- Low cholesterol can also be bad
