In this blog space we like to talk about health issues that mean something to the average person and offer tips that can make a difference right away.
Periodically we will circle back to methylation. Methylation can be quite a knot to unravel; however, as we keep chipping away at it, we can slowly make sense of it and avoid the serious health issues that methylation problems will bring.
A methyl group is a simple molecule of one carbon and three hydrogens or CH3. These methyl groups are shuffled around in various biochemical pathways for activation or deactivation of the target molecule. Let’s talk about what methylation does.
Heavy Metal Detox
The body attaches methyl groups to metals to make them water soluble and therefore ready for excretion.
DNA Control
60-90% of adult DNA is methylated. This is one way to turn embryonic, generalized tissue into specialized tissue like a brain or heart cell. Methylation can keep sections of DNA switched off that could transcribe virus or cancer precursors. Methylation helps keep the lining of arteries healthy.
Monocytes and lymphocytes need to be properly methylated to avoid strokes and blood clots.
To put this another way, less than ideal methylation can lead to heavy metal toxicity, blood clots, altered brain development in infants, increased risk of cancer, decreased immune function and higher probability of some types of cancers and cardiovascular disease. These all sound like conditions you might want to avoid. To avoid these concerns, Designs for Health supplements and others can help.
So how does one go about getting proper methylation? And how does one figure out if methylation is an issue at all? Check out our next blog post to learn more.
