MTHFR and Anxiety

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Anxiety affects almost one-third of the US population4. This means that many of us can feel under the weather from time to time. Some factors that can affect our mood include hormone fluctuations, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, injuries, low and high blood sugar levels, digestive issues (such as leaky gut) and more. Even stress can cause mood swings that can last for a few minutes up to a few hours. We live in a world filled with mood disruptors.

In a past article, we discussed the link between MTHFR and depression. Basically, MTHFR mutations hinder our body’s ability to transform folate (vitamin B9) into methylfolate. Without methylfolate, our brain doesn’t get what it needs to function properly. This can lead to depression, anxiety, and other health complications1.

MTHFR mutations paired with mood disruptors can wreak havoc on our mind and physical well-being.

The Symptoms of MTHFR Induced Anxiety

MTHFR commonly causes pyrroluria, a disorder that hinders the body's ability to transform folate (vitamin B9) into methylfolate. Something that without sufficient levels in the brain, can cause depression, anxiety, and other health complications. When proper folate levels are restored to normal, anxiety and depression will be decreased by about 80% within about three weeks.

Everyone experiences anxiety differently. The symptoms range from mild feelings of an upset stomach and fast heartbeat to feeling completely out of control, experiencing nightmares, panic attacks and dark thoughts you can’t control. A general feeling of fear and worry, troubled sleep, poor concentration and restlessness are also common6.

When things go south, anxiety can turn into full-fledged anxiety attacks. These often build up slowly and look very similar to panic attacks. People dealing with anxiety attacks can feel faint or dizzy, experience shortness of breath, dry mouth, sweating and chills, feel distressed, experience severe apprehension and worry, restlessness, fear and numbness or tingling6.

These are all serious symptoms that affect the quality of our lives. It’s important that we have a plan to tackle anxiety symptoms.

B-vitamins show promise in treating depression and anxiety, especially if it’s associated with MTHFR mutations. Studies show that appropriate levels of methylcobalamin (vitamin B12), methylfolate and SAMe help with mental health by normalizing MTHFR conversion activities in our bodies4. SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is a compound in the body that is often added to help manage anxiety symptoms5. Taking methylfolate helps the body make more SAMe.

What You Can Do?

If you’re dealing with anxiety and you fear you might have an MTHFR gene mutation, there are some simple steps you can take that should help control your condition or at least make it more manageable2:

Talk to your doctor about getting tested for MTHFR. Make sure you also check with your insurance company to see if they cover the expenses for this testing.
Start supplementing with an active (bioavailable) form of folate. We recommend L-Methylfolate supplementation daily for the best results.
Switch to a healthy and balanced diet with folate-rich foods like dark leafy greens, broccoli, lentils and other beans.
MTHFR mutations can also compromise your body’s ability to absorb B12. Adding an active B12 supplement into the mix helps your body stay balanced. Make sure you consider only the active forms of B12 (hydroxocobalamin, methylcobalamin and/or adenosylcobalamin), NOT cyanocobalamin.
Talk to your doctor if you’re planning a pregnancy. Your healthcare provider will help you fine-tune your supplementation and dietary needs.

We suggest you try L-Methylfolate and B12 supplementation first if you’ve been diagnosed with an MTHFR gene mutation and suffer from anxiety.

Try our Methylfolate supplements. They include the purest, stable, and bioactive nutrient form of folate available today patented Magnafolate-C®.

https://methyl-life-supplements.myshopify.com/collections/methylfolate-only

And for the best active B12 form for you, check out our video explaining more about even the rarer forms, you may wish to start with our Hydroxocobalamin.

Do you have an anxiety story you’d like to share? We love sharing inspiring stories with our readers. Email us if you’d like to chat.

Sources

[1] https://drbrucekehr.com/mthfr-gene-test-anxiety-depression-solution/

[2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-integrationist/201409/genetic-mutation-can-affect-mental-physical-health

[3] https://doctordoni.com/2015/04/mthfr-genetics-and-stress/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4898281/

[5] https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-same/art-20364924

[6] https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety#anxiety-attack