I've been lurking here for a few days, marvelling at the level of understanding that some of you have. I received my 23andme results back a few weeks ago and I have been trying to work out what they mean ever since. I ran my results through GeneticGenie and livewello.
By way of some background info I carried out the 23andme test off the back of a just in range (but very low) B12 blood test result, a high off the chart folate test (even though I don't supplement or eat foods fortified with folic acid) and a slightly high out of range homocysteine level. I have Hashimotos disease and my mum has Parkinson's disease and has also had blood clots.
My results are as follows:
Homozygous: COMT V158M, COMT, H62H, MAO-A R297R
Heterozygous: VDR Bsm, VDR Taq, MTHFR c677T, MTHFR 03p39p, MTHFR A1298c, MTR A2756G, MTRR A66G, BHMT 08, CBS A360A, SHMT1 C1420T.
All of the others are -/-
To be honest, I don't know where to start or where to look for info and wondered if anyone here can help me?
I think Valentijn and I are actually going to mostly agree on this interpretation. Valentijn has done her own independent research, and I'm using Yasko's interpretations, so sometimes we disagree on certain points.
You have two First Priority mutations, SHMT and CBS. For the SHMT, take folinic acid. SHMT is one of the "leaky gut" genes, so it may be a good idea to do some gut testing first, especially if you have multiple food sensitivities, and/or have a high need for potassium or magnesium, especially after you start methylation supps. You'll have to stop and address that before continuing.
The CBS is the minor one, so chances are it won't cause you any trouble. If you try to start methylation supps, but start getting an anxiety/stress reaction, this is CBS. You'll have to stop and address that before going on.
You have MTHFR C699T and A1298C, which is the more serious mutation. So you'll likely need methylfolate supplementation. The high folate showing up on the testing is likely "folic acid", which is circulating around in your bloodstream and not absorbing. This is supposed to be a risk for cancer, so it would be good to get that fixed. You should strictly avoid all supps with "folic acid" and all foods fortified with "folic acid" - grains being the main culprit.
The MTR/MTRR will affect B12 intake and recycling, which is actually showing up as a low B12 test. The range is set too low, so even though it's "in range", it's too low. Minimum level should be at least 500. Heck, mine is showing up 800, and I still have many signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency. So it's almost better to go by signs and symptoms, and take the B12 test with a grain of salt.
With your COMT and VDR combo, Yasko suggests hydroxycobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, and avoiding methylcobalamin. Otherwise, you could be prone to mood swings.
You have one BHMT. Ordinarily a bit of TMG might be indicated, but with your COMT status, you should skip it as it's a methyl donor (TMG = tri
methyl glycine). You can also do phosphatidyl choline or phosphatidyl serine for this pathway. With only one SNP though, you may be fine without it.
As far as the B6 Valentijn is mentioning - yes, you probably have the green light to try this. People with an expressed CBS, especially the worse one, C699T, need to limit B6 to 20-25mg.
Work through the process, doing one thing at a time in order, and completing it before moving onto the next step. Start one supp at a time and note your reaction to it good or bad in a symptom journal. You may need to start with very small doses and gradually build up to a "normal" dose. Do all this stuff cautiously to avoid adverse reactions.
One more point, have some nicotinic acid form of niacin on hand before you start, in case you get things cranking too fast. This will shut down methlylation quickly and save you from a possibly lengthy period of adverse symptoms. 50-100mg every 4 hours until symptoms subside.
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