Search MTHFR and you'll find it blamed for fatigue, anxiety, miscarriage and much more, usually followed by a link to a supplement. The real story is narrower and more useful.
What MTHFR does
The MTHFR gene makes an enzyme that carries out one step in how your body processes folate, a B vitamin you need to make DNA. That step turns folate into its active form, methylfolate, which your cells can use straight away. The most common variant is called C677T, where one letter of the gene, a C, is swapped for a T, and it makes the enzyme work less efficiently.
How common the variant is
Very. In the United States, more people carry one or two copies of C677T than carry none. Two copies (the TT genotype) is less common, and how common depends on ancestry: CDC estimates put it at about 20% of Mexican Americans, about 12% of non-Hispanic white Americans and about 1% of non-Hispanic Black Americans.
Sources: CDC, MTHFR Gene Variant and Folic Acid Facts; CDC, U.S. Genome Variation Estimates.
Why the form of folate matters
Folic acid, the version in most multivitamins and fortified bread, has to pass through several steps, including the MTHFR step, before your body can use it. Methylfolate, often listed as L-methylfolate or 5-MTHF on a label, is already in the active form, so it skips the step a C677T variant slows down. If you carry one or two copies, that makes methylfolate the more direct route to the folate your cells need.
What to do with your result
If you carry C677T, check the label of anything you take for folate and look for methylfolate. Build your meals around foods that are naturally rich in folate, like leafy greens, beans and lentils. If you're TT, be consistent, because you have less room for low-folate weeks. If you're pregnant or trying to be, agree your folate plan with your doctor before changing anything. And be wary of anyone who uses your MTHFR result to sell you an expensive fix for problems the gene has never been shown to cause.
Find out your type
Myoform's test reads your whole genome, MTHFR included, and builds your blend around your full results instead of one headline gene. Get your genetic test.
The Decode is for education only and isn't medical advice.