MTHFR - Why do people take Hydroxy?

[leahcim]

I thought that the mthfr gene stopped your body being able to change Hydroxocobalamin into a more usable form in the body? but it seems everyone still prefers I.M Hydroxy but im curious as to why

EDIT : just found this, it seems to have alot of info for my question so thought id put it here incase it helps someone else methyl-life.com/best-form-o...

[JanD236]

I’m guessing the answer is that the majority here won’t have a problem with the MTHFR gene variation that would cause a problem with using hydroxocoblamin.

I’ve had mine checked as part of a ‘DNAFit’ test and I have the ‘normal’ MTHFR gene so I don’t have a problem.

Gene testing is fairly new and certainly not available through my GP for B12 issues so I also think that most here won’t have had the test in any case.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to JanD236]

MTHFR really affects the bodies ability to process folate - its affect on methlylating B12 is much more limited and most variants actually have quite a limited impact on the ability to processes folate.

There is a lot of hype about methyl-B12 being best - often from people selling methyl-B12 however, the reality is that the way your body processes b12 means that it will be separated from the hydroxo/cyano/methyl/adenosyl element when it goes from your blood to your cell and then be recombined with either methyl or adenosyl depending on which process it is needed for. There are a few documented cases of people who are unable to process B12 in a way that enables them to convert methyl to adenosyl (another genetic variant no doubt) whereas there are no known cases of people who can't convert hydroxo to both forms. Some people - including people who have MTHFR variants can also have COMT variants that mean they don't respond very well to methylB12.

Which type of B12 suits which person is very personal

[leahcim in reply to Gambit62]

I love it when you reply Gambit lol, your like our own person cool doctor ty

[fbirder]

Hydroxocobalamin is used for injection because it is the best form.

When any type of B12 enters the cell the top ligand (methyl, cyano, hydroxo, adenosyl) is removed to form cobal(II)amin. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

So if you take methylcobalamin it will go into the cell and be converted to cobal(II)amin. If you take hydroxocobalamin it will go into the cell and be converted to cobal(II)amin. Once it gets into the cell all forms of B12 are equal.

To convert cobal(II)amin into methylcobalamin requires methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF). This is formed by the action of the enzyme methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). This enzyme is made by a gene (also called MTHFR).

Almost everybody has at least one mutation in that gene. Almost all of them make no difference to the activity of that gene. There is only one mutation that has been shown, by repeatable scientific studies, to have bad effects. That mutation is being homozygous for the C677T mutation.

Even if you have this mutation (and 9% of the population do) the enzyme still works (otherwise you would be dead). It just doesn't work at full efficiency.

Some rubbish web sites will tell you that you need to take methylcobalamin if you have a MTHFR mutation (any mutation - they want to sell as much as possible). But, as shown above, if you take methylcobalamin it's not going to help as its methylfolate that is the problem.

So any problem with MTHFR will be fixed by taking methylfolate supplements.

[leahcim in reply to fbirder]

Hey fbirder and ty for your comment im a bit confused by what you wrote though ( i have literally just woke up so it may just be me lol) iv read that i have the a1298c homozygous gene

At the bottom you said its methylfolate supplements that help with any mthfr problem, but above you said

"To convert cobal(II)amin into methylcobalamin requires methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF). This is formed by the action of the enzyme methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). This enzyme is made by a gene (also called MTHFR)."

So b12 is still controlled by MTHF? and MTHFR?

[fbirder in reply to leahcim]

The A1298C mutation is the second most studied (after C677T). Many studies do show a correlation between mutations at that point and various conditions. But none of those studies are repeatable.

In science results aren't accepted unless they can be repeated, by a different research group.

If I ran a study looking at 10 different mutations in a particular gene against 20 different possible conditions then that's 200 possible combinations. So the chances are quite good that I would find at least one correlation. Just through random variation. But it's unlikely that anybody else would find the same correlation, unless there was a real causal link.

The formation of methylcobalamin is dependent, indirectly, on the MTHFR enzyme. But there are lot more enzymes that are also in Involved in the chain of reactions that convert homocysteine to methionine.

If you're worried about MTHFR then take methylfolate supplements. I do.

[Ilala]

I am due to have my first B12d injection today. I was worri d it wasn’t the methyl version but having read this I am no longer worried. Thank you!

[MoKayD]

I have the modified mthfr gene and a couple of the COMT gene modifications. According 23 and Me these gene variations means these genes have a somewhat diminished ability to process folate. I only have a single variation of each so, from what I understand, that means there is a POSSIBILITY that my body is processing folate at an 80% level. Having one of these gene variants does not mean your body is positively operating at a lower level it just means you are more likely to have this problem. I can tell you that when I tried to take methyl B12 oral supplements they made me feel anxious and gave me some insomnia.

[hermes980]

My MMA scores don’t come down when using Hydroxy and I am MTHFR double and COMT++ I take plenty of folinic acid and riboflavin it it still raises