MTHFR gene variants are common and normal according to the CDC. Gene variants are what make us unique. We owe our eye color, natural hair color and blood type, all to gene variants. When we refer to a gene mutation, we are talking about something rare. A child born with the MTHFR gene variant faces a rare challenge. They may have the same basic nutritional needs, but need help absorbing some essential nutrients. Folate and other B vitamins are in the group that becomes a challenge for MTHFR gene variant children to process.
What is MTHFR?
MTHFR stands for Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. (Aren’t you glad you asked?) It is an enzyme with the job of breaking down the amino acid homocysteine. If the MTHFR gene mutates, there are a range of health conditions that can occur.
Who Has The Gene Mutation
Around 30% of the world’s population has the gene mutation. Medical News Today reports specific ethnic groups who are more likely to have the MTHFR gene mutations. In the united States, roughly 25% of Hispanic descendants have it. 10 to 15% of Caucasian descent have two copies of C677T. This genetic anomaly can result in several health issues such as glaucoma, mental health conditions, cancer and birth abnormalities.
Recognizing the Condition
The indicators vary extensively and MTHFR symptoms in a toddler can be hard to recognize. They include developmental delays, seizures, blood clots and numbness or tingling in hands and feet. When the parents already know the condition runs in their family, they may be hypervigilant of their children. Your child’s pediatrician can find whether a person has an MTHFR variant through things like current symptoms, medical history and physical examinations. Your doctor can also refer you to have a blood test done to check the homocysteine levels.
Using Nutrition to Treat MTHFR
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase does not require medical treatment automatically. However, dietary changes can help you offset nutritional deficiencies that often result from the inability to process nutrients. Sammy’s Milk can be part of that plan.
How Methylated Vitamins Can Help
Normally, The body manages its own methylation process, changing methyl groups into other chemical compounds critical to most body functions. Methylating vitamins activates them, making it easier for the body to convert them into digestible compounds, critical to body functions. The 5-Methylfolate in Sammy’s Milk helps babies more fully process this nutrient during their most significant stage of development. By using methylated vitamins, we have made the vitamins help developing digestive systems better absorb the nutrients we all need.
It’s in the Formula
Scientists have known for years that methylated vitamins are preferable for their easy absorption, whether or not the MTHFR mutation is present. From the beginning, Sammy’s Milk formula included methylated B-vitamins for easier absorption by your child. We didn’t just recognize goat milk as more closely resembling breast milk than cow’s milk does. We also realized that methyl folate and other methylated B-vitamins are closer to the nutrients available in human breast milk. Now Methylated vitamins are increasing popular. We’re glad they’re becoming easier to find. Still, we’ve understood Methylation’s importance for a long time so we’ve kept them in our Sammy’s Milk formula all along.