One of the most challenging aspects of contemporary life is trying to find the right balance between what is natural and what is healthy. Is it healthy to take supplements? Arguably, yes, taking supplements is a healthy decision. But taking supplements for everything is not natural, and a lot of nutrition should come directly from the food you consume in order for your body to be healthy. However, it’s nearly impossible to achieve the ideal of having all nutrients come from the food you eat. For this reason, supplements are an important part of meeting your dietary needs. So what supplements are worthwhile? Well, one way to decide is to evaluate the likelihood of a deficiency. One example is the supplement methylfolate.

What is methylfolate?

There is an ever increasing majority of the population that suffers from vitamin B deficiency or is close to it. In addition to genetic disorders like MTHFR (a gene mutation), where the body cannot process vitamin B effectively, there is a distinct lack of options for vitamin B consumption in general. Vitamin B deficiency is a serious condition that can cause many health problems. Taking a supplement for methylfolate deficiency can be incredibly beneficial and worth the investment.

Why is vitamin B deficiency so common?

A genetic condition recently uncovered by the Human Genome Project revealed that many people have issues processing certain vitamins and nutrients which leads to poor health. It is estimated that close to 70% of the entire world population suffers from this particular genetic defect that directly and seriously impacts the absorption of vitamin B (B9 or folate to be specific).

What are the symptoms?

The two different ways a vitamin B deficiency can manifest itself are physical and mental symptoms. These are associated with two different gene mutations: heart disease, stroke, blood clots, anemia, and birth defects stem from the MTHFR mutation 677, while depression, dementia, migraines, and chronic fatigue syndrome may be related to the MTHFR mutation 1298. These symptoms indicate a serious condition and should be addressed.

What can you do?

The methylfolate supplement can improve the process of methylation—the process through which our bodies transform food into enzymes for immediate use. The conversion of folic acid into methylfolate is necessary for the cells to make use of it, and this process is halted when the genetic disorder comes into play. A methylfolate supplement is the best way to bypass the genetic problem and keep your body from trying to use defective enzymes to meet your vitamin B needs, otherwise you may find cause a host of cascading health issues that can build on and complicate each other as you get older.