Every Person Should Be Tested For The Common MTHFR Gene Defect. One Outcome: Parkinson's

Have you been tested for an MTHFR gene defect?  There are two, 1298c and 677t, and they both can have similar negative effects.  Dr. Mischley tested me in 2013 and I have the MTHFR 1298c defect.  It may be as common as 1:32 people.  This defect inhibits me from reducing the vitamin folate into 5-methyl folate which in turn foils the recycling of another vitamin called tetrahydrobiopterin (THB).

Brace yourself :-)

Tetrahydrobiopterin has the following responsibilities as a cofactor:

• Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) for the conversion of L-tryptophan (TRP) to 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
• Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) for conversion of L-phenylalanine (PHE) toL-tyrosine (TYR)
• Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) for the conversion of L-tyrosine to L-DOPA(DOPA)
• Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) for conversion of a guanidino nitrogen of L-arginine (L-Arg) to nitric oxide (NO)
• Alkylglycerol monooxygenase(AGMO) for the conversion of 1-alkyl-sn-glycerol to 1-hydroxyalkyl-sn-glycerol.       

So this can really mess you up in a lot of ways (so every person should be tested).  

Note that it foils the production of dopamine at two places: phenylalanine to tyrosine, and tyrosine to LDOPA.  Thus in the myriad of health problems it can cause, one of them can be Parkinson's.  Looks like I may have drawn that card.  But with the likelihood of the gene defect, I bet many PD sufferers have drawn that card.

So the good news is that both 5-Methyl Folate (5MF, easy to get) and THB (very hard to get) are supplements.  I had been taking 5MF, but I just in the last three weeks discovered the 400 mcg per day I was taking was nowhere near enough.  Realizing the above and that 5MF is a water soluble B vitamin, I've gradually increased my dose to as much as 11,000 mcg per day.

Great results so far!  My dystonia symptoms subsided about 90%, rigidity decreased, and remaining PD medicine on-time increased.  I lost 15 pounds too, and have better sleep and digestion.  I feel more relaxed.  No negatives.

Get tested.  Consider 5MF!

More info at MTHFR.net

God Bless,

Glen