Methylation
Safety first.
This gene mutation is a hot topic, and I get asked a LOT if Neolife’s supplements are methylated and if they are safe for this 40% of the US population.
The thing is, there’s a lot of controversy in the scientific community about pre-methylation because it bypasses seven different checkpoints in the body that are there to prevent hypermethylation—which can cause cancer and lead to other vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Methyl groups also have the power to turn on and off genes which is a pretty big responsibility.
I copied an abridged response below from John Miller, one of Neolife’s scientists, when asked about 5-MTHF, for those of us who love to nerd out on the details.
If that’s not you, I’ll give you the easy stuff first.
1. I LOVE that Neolife has the standard, “above else, do no harm.” They aren’t here to jump on a bandwagon or slap a label on a bottle because something is trending in the scientific community. This is a big reason they have been around for 63 years without a single lawsuit or history of one person being harmed.
2. I have hundreds of customers that take Neolife supplements with the MTHFR gene mutation, with wonderful bodily response. Many have done so for five years and counting.
3. My favorite way to supplement with folate if you’re concerned you have the mutation: Liver. It’s packed with naturally occurring folate, and I’ve been loving “Endurance,” Neolife’s 100% pure beef liver, free of growth hormones, antibiotics and pesticides.
Okay . . . now for the juicy details.
Methylation
"Methylation processes within the body are amongst the most complex and inter-related metabolic processes of life and health. Disruptions in methylation processes are known to have serious implications. One of these, called the “methyl trap”, is known to increase risk of pernicious (B12) anemia as well as adverse impact on the production of DNA (synthesis) within our cells. The long-term implications of the latter is obviously something that should be avoided.
The concern the SAB has…as do many others within the scientific community… is that introducing a pre-methylated form of folic acid could result in unknown and unanticipated consequences. The methyl-trap and it’s implications for B12 anemia and possible DNA disruptions are real and thus cannot be disregarded….and demand prudence especially relative to their broader implications.
It is also concerning to the SAB that introduction of pre-methylated folic acid has no precedence in “Nature’s plan." It is a new bit of biochemistry with no clear long-term history of safe use. It may turn out to be OK, but evidence based upon long term use is essentially none existent at this time. In other words, the jury is still out.
Time, and a good deal more study may show that the use of pre-methylated folic acid is an appropriate choice…especially for those with confirmed genetic variations mentioned above. Until that occurs however approval for use in our products would be inappropriate.
This subject remains on the SAB list of hot topics. We have followed…and will continue to watch developments closely. Assuming that long-term safe use concerns are resolved to our satisfaction it may well turn out that a form of pre-methylated folic acid has a place in our product mix. Until then however our “above all else, do no harm” standard demands we wait and see."