MTHFR gene mutations, what’s the difference?
Many people are getting tested for MTHFR. When their results come back positive they are faced with one or more types of mthfr gene mutations that have their own code. Most often these codes look like this:
MTHFR Gene Mutation (C677T)
and or
MTHFR Gene Mutation (A1298C)
People, of course, are curious to know what these mean and what they should do about it. So let’s take a look at each one and how they might affect you and your health…
By the way for those that don’t know MTHFR stands for (MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase) which is a regulatory enzyme (a catalyst). Which is extremely important folate (a nutrient) dependent. That is involved in literally hundreds of chemical reactions in the body that should keep us healthy. When we have mthfr gene mutations this important enzyme is not able to work as well as it should. This leads to mthfr symptoms and can lead to serious health problems including disease.
By understanding the difference between the C667T gene mutation and the A1298C gene mutation you can put yourself at a major advantage. When it comes to treating the gene disorders.
The difference between C677T & A1298C gene mutations
When we are diagnosed with one or more of these gene mutations it’s best to look at each one differently. This is because each gene represents a separate pathway in the body’s chemistry which means simply that…
If you have the C677T gene mutation only you will have predominate problems such as:
- Folate metabolism (using your folate and other synergistic nutrients or nutrients that work with folate. Such as your other b vitamins for example)
- Homocysteine cycle (very important chemical reactions that protect the body from serious diseases. Such as cardiovascular disease and mental health problems)
- Impaired methylation (reduced ability to use and process proteins. Such as amino acids, enzymes, nutrients, RNA & DNA which produce any number of MTHFR symptoms)
- Nutritional imbalances (Problems with the utilization of important nutrients. Such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids)
- Detoxification (reduced ability to detoxify properly leading to toxicity problems)
How much will you be affected if you have the C667T gene mutation?
There are two different types of C667T gene mutations. These are referred to as “Heterozygous” & “Homozygous”. Depending on which one of these you have will determine how much the gene mutation affects you. By the way…
- Heterozygous = 1 copy of the gene from mum or dad
- Homozygous = 2 copies of the gene, one each from mum and dad
So, you can see below that the gene variants or the difference between the gene types changes. How much the gene mutation C667T will affect your health, for example:
- MTHFR C677T heterozygous = 30-40% loss of mthfr function
- MTHFR C677T homozygous = 60-70% loss of mthfr function
Problems with C677T gene mutations
The problems experienced by the C677T gene mutation are more likely to have elevated homocysteine. Cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, and deep vein thrombosis. The family history of associated diseases is also common.
As you can see when you have C677T gene mutations depending on which one you have. You still have a significant problem that has a serious effect on your health. it’s important to understand however that knowing you have this problem represents the opportunity. To get treatments that best suit your exact gene mutation. Which can reduce your risks associated with your particular gene mutation type, which is good news!
If you have the A1298C gene mutation only you will have predominate problems such as:
- Neurotransmitter disturbances (Problems with mental health. Such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar, mood disorders, ADD, ADHD, learning difficulty, behavioral problems etc)
- Nutritional imbalances (Problems with the utilization of important nutrients including neurotransmitter producing amino acids)
How much will you be affected if you have the A1298C gene mutation?
There are two different types of A1298C gene mutations. These are referred to as “Heterozygous” & “Homozygous”. Depending on which one of these you have will determine how much the gene mutation affects you, by the way…
- Heterozygous = 1 copy of the gene from mum or dad
- Homozygous = 2 copies of the gene, one each from mum and dad
So, you can see below that the gene variants or the difference between the gene types changes how much the gene mutation A1298C will affect your health, for example:
- MTHFR A1298C heterozygous = 20-30% loss of function
- MTHFR A1298C homozygous = 40% loss of function
Problems with A1298C gene mutations
As you can see above the problems experienced by those with the A1298C gene mutation are more likely to be associated with neurotransmitters, these are the chemicals that control your brain, how you feel, your tolerance to stress, your mood, your ability to concentrate, your ability to relax, your ability to feel happy, your sensitivity to pain, your ability to learn and remember and so on.
Often those with the A1298C gene can’t make enough serotonin which causes depression and or anxiety. Neurotransmitters are extremely important and imbalances can dramatically affect a persons life, often those with neurotransmitter problems can experience any of the symptoms of MTHFR because brain chemicals control how you feel, which can result in many and varied symptoms. For example, if you have the A1298C gene mutation you will likely make less supportive neurotransmitters, this causes mental stress which goes on to cause physical stress, when this happens your body needs more resources to be able to cope, resources then become depleted, this can then lead to any mental and or physical health problem/s.
As you can see when you have A1298C gene mutations depending on which one you have, you still have a significant problem that has a serious affect on your health, it’s important to understand however that knowing you have this problem represents the opportunity to get treatments that best suit your exact gene mutation which can reduce your risks associated with your particular gene mutation type, which is also good news!
What about having both C677t & A1298C gene mutations at the same time?
Some people are diagnosed with both the C667t and the A1298C gene mutations, simply put this means that they have a combination of the above problems which means that the right treatments are even more important. By treating each gene mutation the right way for its individual associated problems means the outcome for those who have mthfr problems is much better.
Treatments for C677T gene mutations
Everyone is different, if you have a C677T mutation you may not experience the same symptoms or health problems as someone else, nor should everyone who has the C677T gene mutation use the same treatment, in fact, it can be dangerous (read more about the dangers of common C677T treatments). Treatments for those with the C677T genes vary depending on your individual symptoms. Learn more about getting treatments for C677T gene problems here.
Treatments for A1298C gene mutations
Just like in the case of those with C677T mutations, treatments for A1298C is dependent on your individual symptoms, as each case and how it affects you personally is different, this means taking a different approach for each person. Those that have A1298C are more likely to suffer from mental health problems which can be more complicated and its highly recommended that any treatment for MTHFR be supervised by a MTHFR practitoner. Learn more about getting treatments for A1298C gene problems here.
Did you have any questions about C677T vs A1298C? Contact us here.
