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Dr. Chris Masterjohn's Methylation Protocol

Sherpa

Ex-workaholic adrenaline junkie
Messages
699
Location
USA
I was diagnosed with MTHFR +/+ in 2014 and went through several years of difficult trials and errors in trying to fix my folate insufficiency. I have a tendency 'overmethylate' and found that taking standard doses of commonly recommended supplements like methylfolate and TMG lead to extremely uncomfortable overstimulation episodes. I eventually gave up and just took a multivitamin with minimal methylfolate, which wasn't enough. I would still run low on folate and my mood would fluctuate at different times of the day. I would also feel inflammed and slightly depressed at the end of the work week, around Friday.

This year I came across Dr. Chris Masterjohn's methylation protocol and I have been having fantastic results with it. It feels like perhaps the final 'layer of the onion' I had to unlock on the path to wellness.


As I understand it, Dr. Masterjohn's approach does not involve taking large doses of vitamins or synthetic supplements. He recommends on supplying the body with natural folate, steadily in your diet from fresh whole foods, several times throughout the day so it doesn't run low. He recommends frequently the "3 L's" as natural folate sources:
  1. Liver - 4oz of grass-fed beef liver, twice per week (as its extremely potent)
  2. Legumes
  3. Leafy Greens - I prefer organic romaine lettuce heads
In addition to eating these 3 L's regularly, he recommends getting enough:
  1. Choline - 4 to 5 egg yolks per day, or sunflower lecitin, or equivalents.
  2. Riboflavin - at least 3mg per day
  3. Creatine - 3 to 5g per day. This stuff is "expensive" in that it takes a lot of methyl groups for the body to make, so supplementing creatine helps free up folate.
  4. Glycine - in the form of bone broth, collagen or supplemental free-form powder.
I take 2.5g creatine + 3g glycine powder in the morning... along with a Life Extension Mix tablet (for riboflavin and very low dose methylfolate + TMG) with each meal. I eat 4oz of beef liver twice a week and eat one to two heads of romaine lettuce per day with meals.

I feel so much better! I have consistently better moods and more positive attitude of "life is fun" instead of weariness and subtle melancholy. I also have visibly improved muscle tone. I will check my homocysteine levels soon to make sure they are in range.

If you haven't found substantial relief from MTHFR or experienced unpleasant side effects from other methylation protocols, I highly recommend you try Dr. Masterjohn's protocol. Please post your experiences in the tread below.
 
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Sherpa

Ex-workaholic adrenaline junkie
Messages
699
Location
USA
I just wanted to give an update. When I found this forum in 2014 I tried hundreds of different vitamin pills, oils, powders and gels to get my methylation cycle working. It was AGNOY and powdered vitamins did not work, overstimulated me, etc.

Now I just treat my methylation issues with food!

I make sure to eat:

  • about 3 pastured egg yolks per day (for choline, B12, folate)
  • leafy greens with every meal (for folate)
  • 100g grass fed beef liver twice per week (for vitamin A, B12, B2, B6 and folate)
  • very small amounts of canned or pickled beets, around 25 to 50g as needed (for beatine / TMG)
  • 2.5g Creatine powder per day
  • 3g NOW glycine powder per day, plus eating small bones whenever possible
Bonus: 4th day sprouted mung beans, pressure cooked (eaten very sparingly, they are supercharged with folate)

and WOW I feel fantastic.


The best part of all is that after decades of being a supplement junkie, I take only 2 to 3 supplements per day! Don't even take a multivitamin anymore because I got my diet right. Host Defense Lion's Mane really seems to be heping regenrate brain neuros / pathways that were damaged by chronic stress.
 

sb4

Senior Member
Messages
1,654
Location
United Kingdom
I just wanted to give an update. When I found this forum in 2014 I tried hundreds of different vitamin pills, oils, powders and gels to get my methylation cycle working. It was AGNOY and powdered vitamins did not work, overstimulated me, etc.

Now I just treat my methylation issues with food!

I make sure to eat:

  • about 3 pastured egg yolks per day (for choline, B12, folate)
  • leafy greens with every meal (for folate)
  • 100g grass fed beef liver twice per week (for vitamin A, B12, B2, B6 and folate)
  • very small amounts of canned or pickled beets, around 25 to 50g as needed (for beatine / TMG)
  • 2.5g Creatine powder per day
  • 3g NOW glycine powder per day, plus eating small bones whenever possible
Bonus: 4th day sprouted mung beans, pressure cooked (eaten very sparingly, they are supercharged with folate)

and WOW I feel fantastic.


The best part of all is that after decades of being a supplement junkie, I take only 2 to 3 supplements per day! Don't even take a multivitamin anymore because I got my diet right. Host Defense Lion's Mane really seems to be heping regenrate brain neuros / pathways that were damaged by chronic stress.
Is that Chris Master Johns appoach to methylation?

What where you symptoms before and what are they now?
 

Sherpa

Ex-workaholic adrenaline junkie
Messages
699
Location
USA
Is that Chris Master Johns appoach to methylation?

What where you symptoms before and what are they now?

That is basically his approach to treating MTHFR, or at least my personal adaptation of his advice.

My symptoms before were chronic inflammation, skinnyness / weakness, poor moods, social anxiety, brain fog, alcohol intolerance, feeling "abnormal" or like an "outsider" who didn't "click" with healthy and successful people. The worst was what I'd call 'weekend fatigue' where I could barely make it through an office work week but I would start coming down with inflamamtion and fatigue by thursday or Friday... and then I'd spend the weekend "sick" and alone, waiting for the inflammation to go down. It was a vicious cycle.

Now I feel calm, cheerful, strong, and social and "well adjusted." Like a new person. I work all week and go on 20 mile bike rides every weekend. I feel like I could work any sort of high functioning job or even participate in competitive athletic events like a local race, etc.

Fixing my methylation wasn't the only step on my journey (you can see my post history) but it was a key part of the puzzle.
 
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helen1

Senior Member
Messages
1,033
Location
Canada
@Sherpa
That’s very encouraging, so thanks for writing up your diet. I’m trying to improve my methylation partly through food, partly B12 oils plan.

Are the bones for calcium?

How much Lions Mane are you taking? I’ve been taking that daily as part of the Bredesen anti Alzheimer plan (to prevent) but haven’t noticed anything.
 

Sherpa

Ex-workaholic adrenaline junkie
Messages
699
Location
USA
@Sherpa
That’s very encouraging, so thanks for writing up your diet. I’m trying to improve my methylation partly through food, partly B12 oils plan.

Are the bones for calcium?

How much Lions Mane are you taking? I’ve been taking that daily as part of the Bredesen anti Alzheimer plan (to prevent) but haven’t noticed anything.

I cook chicken wings and gnaw the ends off the small bones, chew up and eat the tiny bones and all the cartridge too. For both glycine and calcium.

I take 2 capsules of Host Defense Lion's Mane per day and would not consider any other brand. If your brain is physically in good shape you might not notice it, but I'm pretty sure mine is damaged from too much stress / cortisol... and Lion's Mane supports hippocampal neurogenesis. For me, it was the most incredible supplement I've ever tried, and I have tried 1000s.
 

helen1

Senior Member
Messages
1,033
Location
Canada
@Sherpa
Do you take your Lions mane with or without food? I take Liftmode’s Lions Mane. Seems to be very clean ingredients but I think I’ll try increasing how much I’m taking. Pretty sure my brain is like yours was lol...
 

HABS93

Senior Member
Messages
485
Ive been taking lions mane and it actually does make me feel a slight in sharpness in the brain. So id say it has a positive effect on brain fog. Not going to cure it but its deff a plus. Also do not take if you have had a beer. I dont drink alot but i like to have a beer like just 1 sometimes. Intestines didnt feel good the next day . So make sure you eat too . I take it an hour before bed
 

JasonUT

Senior Member
Messages
303
@Sherpa how are you doing on your new protocol? How long did it take to start seeing benefits? How long did it take before you we're convinced that you found a solution?

Like you, I experimented with many supplements, including methylcobalamin and methyfolate. Recently, I stumbled on Chris Masterjohn and Ben Lynch's alternative creatine and phosphatidylcholine approach to supporting methylation. I discovered these alternative approaches as I started researching my PEMT and COMT SNP variants.

With that said, I'm currently experimenting with the following supplements:
1. Multi with hb12, adb12, and folinic acid
2. Lecithin - 4-5 tbsp per day
3. Magnesium Glycinate - 500 mg magnesium and ~3000 mg glycine
4. Creatine 5 grams per day
5. Omega3
6. Lithium oratate 20 mg
7. Taurine 1000 mg

Do you have any thoughts or recommendations for me?
 
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Sherpa

Ex-workaholic adrenaline junkie
Messages
699
Location
USA
@Sherpa how are you doing on your new protocol? How long did it take to start seeing benefits? How long did it take before you we're convinced that you found a solution?

Like you, I experimented with many supplements, including methylcobalamin and methyfolate. Recently, I stumbled on Chris Masterjohn and Ben Lynch's alternative creatine and phosphatidylcholine approach to supporting methylation. I discovered these alternative approaches as I started researching my PEMT and COMT SNP variants.

With that said, I'm currently experimenting with the following supplements:
1. Multi with hb12, adb12, and folinic acid
2. Lecithin - 4-5 tbsp per day
3. Magnesium Glycinate - 500 mg magnesium and ~3000 mg glycine
4. Creatine 5 grams per day
5. Omega3
6. Lithium oratate 20 mg
7. Taurine 1000 mg

Do you have any thoughts or recommendations for me?

I am doing great in the masterjohn protocol but I’m MTHFR +/+. For me CFS was a long journey that took me down in 2011 and I made incremental improvements that increased my function. Some big ones were studying Selfhacked.com, masterjohn protocol, the book “the intelligent body: reversing chronic fatigue and pain from the inside out” by Kyle Davies, and the Staments stack.

Selfhacked is now offering DNA health coaching for like $1k if you want expert advice.
 

JasonUT

Senior Member
Messages
303
@Sherpa

1. When did you start the Chris Masterjohn methylation protocol?
2. Did you have any startup issues? If so, what?
3. How long were you doing the Chris Masterjohn methylation protocol before you felt confident it was working?
 

Sherpa

Ex-workaholic adrenaline junkie
Messages
699
Location
USA
@Sherpa

1. When did you start the Chris Masterjohn methylation protocol?
2. Did you have any startup issues? If so, what?
3. How long were you doing the Chris Masterjohn methylation protocol before you felt confident it was working?

1. about one year ago
2. No startup issues other than overmethylating if I ate too many beets
3. I could feel a difference within a week or two.

It was just one layer in an onion of getting better, but an important one. Tried stuff like freddd’s protocol and it was Wayyyy too strong. masterjohn’s really fixed my MTHFR And made me feel much more calm & confident
 

JasonUT

Senior Member
Messages
303
Tried stuff like freddd’s protocol and it was Wayyyy too strong. masterjohn’s really fixed my MTHFR And made me feel much more calm & confident

Yes, I feel the same way. On November 24, I stopped all methylated vitamins and switched to phosphatidylcholine and lecithin as my methylation cycle sparing supplements plus lithium oratate and magnesium glycinate. My mind feels calmer and I have had a small reduction in headaches; however, no increase in physical or mental energy or stamina.

I just added 5 grams creatine yesterday. I'm hoping this gives me some ATP and PEM busting benefits.
 

Sherpa

Ex-workaholic adrenaline junkie
Messages
699
Location
USA
Yes, I feel the same way. On November 24, I stopped all methylated vitamins and switched to phosphatidylcholine and lecithin as my methylation cycle sparing supplements plus lithium oratate and magnesium glycinate. My mind feels calmer and I have had a small reduction in headaches; however, no increase in physical or mental energy or stamina.

I just added 5 grams creatine yesterday. I'm hoping this gives me some ATP and PEM busting benefits.

creatine was a game changer for me. I was always skinny no matter how much I worked out and with creatine I gained a small but significant amount of muscle to where I look “strong” instead of weak. I feel like it gave me more stamina to where I can undertake heavy physical tasks (Landscaping, surfing) for days on end with just normal soreness. No PEM.

glycine and eating liver helped me too. I don’t know what your genetics or physical issues are but this protocol helped me!