On the Coast – Families Issue 97 I December/January 2019 | Page 8

Activated
B Vitamin
MTHFR
by Diana Arundell
Y
ou may have noticed there are
new ranges of B vitamins that
have shown up in the market place
with the buzz being around
‘activated’ B vitamins and in
particular the different forms of B9
– Folate, folic acid, folinic acid and
5-MTHF.
As we discover more about the human
body and genetics, we can gain a better
understanding of how nutrition and
micronutrients such as vitamins and
minerals can impact our health and
wellbeing.
We know that diet and lifestyle can
influence gene expression (whether
genes are active or silent can affect
whether disease shows up or not),
and our genes can affect nutrient
metabolism. Simply put, our genes
interact with our environment and our
environment impacts our genes.
The biological process of methylation
which occurs naturally in the cells of the
body, plays an important role in key life
enhancing processes such as preventing
cellular damage as well as supporting
cardiovascular, liver, and neurological
function. Methylation means the transfer
of methyl groups among other chemical
compounds in the body to contribute to
the functioning of metabolic pathways,
enzyme activity and the regulation of
gene expression. The ability to maintain
adequate levels of methylation does
decline with age and it’s also reliant on
good levels of nutrients such as folate,
B6, B12 and choline.
Through modern day gene mapping,
the MTHFR (Methylene Tetrahydrofolate
Reductase) gene has been studied and
it’s understood that up to 50% of the
population have an inborn genetic
variation (polymorphism) affecting
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These services provided are:
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• Breast Checks
The Cervical Screening Outreach Clinic
Wyong Central Community Health Centre To book your
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Level 1, 38a Pacific Highway, Wyong
Open every Wednesday 9am–4pm Call 4365 2294
The Clinic is a joint initiative between Central Coast Primary Care and the Central Coast Local Health District
8
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