Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
#26 MTHFR & Fertility - What you need to know
21 Plays1 day ago
The Bean Talk – Episode 26: MTHFR & Fertility - What you need to know
This week, Riannon and Jeremy unpack the MTHFR gene mutation and its impact on fertility, miscarriage, and IVF outcomes.
They break down what MTHFR actually is, why it matters for both egg and sperm health, and the difference between folic acid and bioavailable folate. Plus, they share tips on testing, reducing inflammation, and choosing the right supplements to support reproductive health.
I'm Nutrients chewables mentioned this this episode: https://mungbeanhealth.com/collections/im-nutrients
Connect with us on Instagram @mungbean_health or visit mungbeanhealth.com for expert support.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to The Bean Talk
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to The Bean Talk with me, Rhiannon, your fertility fairy godmother, joined by my trusted partner in life and in the mission of Mungbean Health, Jeremy. Here at Mungbean Health, we're on a mission to unlock the secrets of fertility and natural wellbeing one episode at a time.
00:00:22
Speaker
Hi guys and welcome back. to the bean talk with Rhiannon and Jeremy hello and welcome back to another episode and we're so excited to have you here this week has been pretty look pretty good pretty cruisy I'd say in our life which is probably pretty hectic but I feel like we've been ticking off the to-do list little bit yeah yeah definitely one thing that I've really tried to be on top of with the kids especially i me I always have my supplements and get Jeremy's supplements together at the same time and then with the kids I give them theirs as well and I they actually love them so I give them to them as a bit of a treat they ah they actually enjoy taking which is so good yes I know it's so good I think it's starting them on herbs so young and also using the glycetrac ones so the glycetrac ones they love they're sweet but the normal herbs they will still have because I've started them on them young but
00:01:15
Speaker
I don't expect other children to have herbs that aren't in the glycerol
Children's Health and Supplements
00:01:18
Speaker
base. That's why we use the glycetrax for kids. But our kids are good. So if I need to, I do use them as a bit of a treat for them. But yeah, they can have the other...
00:01:26
Speaker
adult gross tasting herbs as well but they work so well and getting back to the kids taking their supplements we have gotten new products on our website which is yes yeah talk about nutrients yes sort ah great range of products totally yes that is it's making it so much easier at the moment because they're actually like lollies like we're using the elderberry gummies which tastes sweet and nice they're like little gummies right they're like a lot like a healthy lolly Obviously, you can't eat heaps of them. I think if you can have two a day and take and have one a day, you just check the side what is recommended. But as long as I'm getting it in once a day for either of them or both of them.
00:02:04
Speaker
And then we also have the children's chewable immunities. They're really good. They're good. They're chewable ones, which the kids suck on and then chew on. Like a lozenge or like a powder lozenge. Yeah, that's a different brand. But I'm doing the I'm Nutrients, the Fussy Essentials.
00:02:19
Speaker
Yeah. And the baby DHA as well. I usually give them cod liver oil just off the spoon. did last night. i Did you? Oh, cool. most of that one Good. So good for their immune system. But we got some of these cool little i'm nutrients gummy. what do you call them? They're like a little ball capsule, chewable. Chewable capsule. Yeah, like a fish oil capsule, but you chew on it and bust and it tastes good. I think it's blueberry flavor. Yeah, it's flavor. It's sweet. It's nice. The kids like it as a bit of a treat. But then I can tick off a couple of those boxes like...
00:02:46
Speaker
getting the fish oil into them, those healthy fats, great for their brains, the immune system support. And then like with the fussy eater one, that's just like a really good multivitamin. So and if you don't have fussy eaters, then you can still use it. Like we still use it for our kids. And i was actually thinking about this the other day.
00:03:02
Speaker
our kids are not necessarily fussy, although people think that they're fussy. It's just because they won't eat a lot of the crappy foods. Like they won't have spaghetti bolognese or What else are those sort of things? When you go out and try and order like ah chi yeah nuggets and chips, yeah they'll have the good c cleavers nuggets that are like organic ones, but then they won't really have, they won't stray. They don't like things that are very like saucy, like spaghetti bolognese or pastas or things like that. And I think that's because we don't eat much of that.
Probiotic Offerings and Immune Support
00:03:32
Speaker
ah Sometimes it would be easier if they do. But if you put a plate of like fresh salad stuff, like veggies out for them, they will eat that. yeah which is to mention they take their probiotic too oh yes and they're probiotic but that's a clinic one yeah that's like yeah it's really good product so good and i just can't look past that brand for other probiotics so if you want some probiotics for your kids that are really good please book in because we'd love to help them and honestly you can book in for the acute immune consultation that sets you up for winter so having the appointment at the start of winter or now
00:04:04
Speaker
because it's already getting close to the colder months. But starting now, looking in the acute immune for like kids and adults, we can get you on a plan for winter. So it's like here you've got these in the cupboard, they're ready to go. Obviously, if you're already sick, then get into it ASAP and we can use some different herbs that you need. But yeah, couple of options there.
00:04:22
Speaker
But I'm sure you know now that we usually talk about a big bean and little bean. I would say staying on top of the kids' supplements is... pretty great at the moment and what else have i been doing that's really good it's hard to pick these sometimes yeah definitely giving the supplements to the whole family feel like that's good jeremy started on a bit of a health yeah i'm starting a routine yep Yeah, which is a big bean, I say, for you. Yeah, a big bean, yeah.
00:04:49
Speaker
I'm really going to fine-tune my supplement taking. Yes. Yeah, I'm in a play with Emily. Yes. faster yes like She did a deep dive into me. It's like everyone else is doing this. I know. i need a strict plan of what I should be taking specifically for me.
00:05:02
Speaker
Rather than just, oh, we've got these supplements, let's use up these ones, or, oh Rep gave us these supplements to try, let's try all these.
Health Testing and Personalized Plans
00:05:08
Speaker
It's like more targeted for you. I've obviously got mine because of pregnancy and postpartum, but.
00:05:13
Speaker
Yeah, it was Jeremy's turn. My turn to fix myself. Did you love it? Yeah, it's good. Yeah. Did you love your appointment? Yeah, it was so good. Yeah. Emily's so great. It was so great. Yeah, it was awesome. Yeah, amazing. So that's a pretty big one. That's a big thing. Yeah.
00:05:27
Speaker
Yep. I feel like it will set me up for later on in life. These are the years now between your 30 and 40s. I feel like you're in a real grind period of your life. I feel like if you've really pushed yourself, you'll feel it now, like in the way of not being healthy.
00:05:40
Speaker
And then also it's like a time where you're like, oh gosh, you really need to get things into gear. So when you are 40, 50, 60, it's a little bit easier. Totally. Yeah, absolutely. But I'm sure a lot of you know now we've obviously a huge year on testing and as Jeremy's doing some testing and already done some testing, we try and do I try and do some type of like annual testing and pretty
Understanding MTHFR and Fertility
00:06:02
Speaker
much with Jeremy as well. He's just done his saliva hormones and he did gut before that. So something each year to stay on top of that and be very proactive.
00:06:10
Speaker
But we're huge on testing. It's very important. And obviously for your fertility, not that's what Jeremy's working on at the moment, but for everyone it's important, but for your fertility even more because we really want to make sure we get down to the bottom of what's going on.
00:06:23
Speaker
And there's so many different tests for everything. Sometimes we do saliva, sometimes we do blood, sometimes we do stool, sometimes we do urine. There's heaps of them. So one of the tests though that has been coming up quite a lot in clinic recently, we do this all the time and it's been a thing for a long time now in clinic. Like even when I was studying, I remember it talking about it, the MTHFR genetic testing. I know, you're probably thinking, what the hell did you just say to me?
00:06:52
Speaker
MTHFR. And I remember one of my lecturers would call it the M, I don't want to say it, but the swear word that sounds like MTHFR, like mother. Yeah. Yeah, mother if that's good.
00:07:04
Speaker
Which, yeah, it's actually MTHFR, but it's an easy way for you to remember. And it's a gene that essentially gives instructions to make enzymes that play crucial roles in folate metabolism and methylation processes.
00:07:20
Speaker
So this is a key process in DNA repair, so important for fertility, detoxification, and also hormone regulation. Very important. And I guess a lot more is coming out now that people are testing a lot more freely about what is happening and why it's happening.
00:07:35
Speaker
So we obviously see a lot of clients in clinic that are having, unfortunately, recurrent miscarriages. That's always going to be one of my first tests that I want to look at. And it's very important to do the testing. I know sometimes people will come to us and they've had all this testing from the fertility clinic and they're like, oh, another test or something.
00:07:51
Speaker
Oh God, I've got to try and get my hubby on board to get his sperm test. Like I have some clients that will just struggle to get their hubby to get their sperm testing done. And sometimes we'll often find issues there and we could have made that happen faster. But then again, everyone has to come to the party for where they're up to when they're willing to and ready to. It's not like a fun thing to do.
00:08:09
Speaker
Yeah, know. yeah It depends on the environment. yeah Yeah, it's probably a bit awkward, I'd imagine. I know, Jeremy, tell us. You've done a sperm test. Well, yeah, like you're going to do the act and then you've like a certain window to get to the facility.
00:08:22
Speaker
Yes. And then like you're carrying a little jar around. I know. I do remember that actually. i think we've spoken about this before. It's before the kids I like to – we haven't done it for all of them with the sperm testing, but I've done the testing and Jeremy's checked hormones and stuff. Yeah.
00:08:34
Speaker
With the sperm testing before EV, I remember yeah running it down and we had, it was like a 45 minute drive. You got window there where it's starting to die. Yeah. You want it to be freshen. There's so many things that can go wrong with the sperm test. So really, and in my clinical practice, I know you've got to do it three times to get a real good understanding of the data.
00:08:55
Speaker
If you see something's wrong in one, then it's probably going to be an issue with the others, especially if something's there, I don't know, white blood cells or if it's sperm counts really low whatever it might look like there's something there that it yeah it's important to look into a little bit further totally got on a tangent there but that's the thing with testing you actually find out what's going on totally it's like you you can stab at the dart once you've done the test the data's in front of you and you can really fine tune your otherwise you're guessing yeah you're definitely guessing But yeah, everyone has to come to it in their right time. But when you have this mutation or a mutation, especially of this gene, there can be reduced enzyme activity, which can affect our homocysteine levels and folate metabolism. And we see overall reproductive health being impacted from it.
00:09:42
Speaker
So the two most studied mutations are the C677T and the A1298C. So depending on whether you have one or two copies, so from one parent or both parents of these mutations, the enzymes efficiency may be significantly reduced anywhere from 20% to 60%. Wow. Isn't that crazy? Yeah, it's wild.
00:10:09
Speaker
I remember learning about the methylation cycle in uni. Oh my gosh, it's so full on and insane. There's so many things happening in your body right now that you have no idea that are happening. And they're all automated. I know.
00:10:19
Speaker
It's absolutely insane. And there's still so much that we don't know, I feel. So now why does this sort of important for fertility? Because we say things like enzymes and reduced and mutations, but how does that affect our fertility?
00:10:32
Speaker
Well, in 2019, a meta-analysis found that the C677T mutation was significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrent pregnancy loss, particularly in women with the two copies, so from both parents, of the mutation.
00:10:48
Speaker
This caused elevated homocysteine levels, which are often seen when there is impaired MTHFR function. and are a contributor of poor implantation and also the placental function as well.
00:11:03
Speaker
We'll chat a bit more about homocysteine in a moment, but another study in 2021 in fertility and sterility reported that ah women with MTHFR mutations and high homocysteine levels had lower IVF success rates compared to those without the mutation.
00:11:22
Speaker
So supplementation with bioavailable folate, the L-methylfolate, appeared to improve the outcomes. It is very important you are taking the correct form of folate. And this is always such a touchy subject.
00:11:38
Speaker
Whenever we start talking about folate or folic acid, everyone's like, oh my God, like folic acid, the data shows this and that. Data is 20 years behind us. We are, it's coming, it's coming.
00:11:51
Speaker
And we can see this in clinic with our own eyes, how amazing it is when we use folate, methylfolate, rather than using folic acid. But unfortunately, the data shows in the medical system that folic acid is a lifesaver and it does all these things, which if you had no other option, if it was folic acid or nothing, you would take the folic acid and you would hope that your body can convert that into the folate.
00:12:18
Speaker
But as we've just stated, many people, 20 to 60% of the cases. People have the gene, the MTHFR gene. It's crazy. So yeah, that is a huge part of it. And that's why we see a lot of issues with that implantation. And yeah, I have multiple people that come to mind when I think about the MTHFR and Sometimes it can be, in air quotations, as easy as changing up from maybe a folic acid supplement to a folate supplement or getting in enough folate if they weren't getting in at all.
00:12:53
Speaker
Because if you can't convert the folic acid into folate, you're not going to use it. Yeah. So it's like you just take it. Data is sometimes shown is biased. Absolutely. So biased.
00:13:06
Speaker
Especially by the companies that
Strategies for MTHFR and Fertility Support
00:13:08
Speaker
put it out. yeah the people selling it are going to be biased. Data show. i heard this data about Russian roulette, like with a pistol. Yeah. And it's like they interviewed 100 survivors of Russian roulette and they said it's safe game to play.
00:13:22
Speaker
Yeah, because. Out there, Russian roulette, it's like you put a bullet in the gun, you spin it and click it in your own head. Yeah, I know. It's not good. But Russian roulette, it's like obviously the people that are saying that are going to it's, yeah.
00:13:32
Speaker
yeah there are survivors because like the dead people on yeah show the data and we're not saying do not take like folic acid or folate or don't like it's very important for neural tube issues and all the things we've mentioned but take the right form yeah and if you've got no other option do your research and talk to someone or get your mthfr tested we're not saying don't and take it i feel like sometimes when you say the message or put it out there some people are like oh look at this person Look at this person I've had. Look at this naturopath trying to tell people not to take folic acid. I'm like, I'm not saying that. Obviously, it a doctor that said I'm not saying that.
00:14:09
Speaker
I'm saying take a better form, one that's actually going to work for you. And hey, if you can convert folic acid, amazing. But also, if you don't need to convert it and you can just take folate because you're lucky enough to get the right advice, why would you want to give your body extra work? Yeah.
00:14:23
Speaker
I had someone actually pull me up on filtered water the other day on TikTok and be like, your body filters the water. Cause I said, if you're not filtering your water, then your body will do it for you. So if you look at the gunk in the pipes, like that will be in your body cause your body will do it.
00:14:37
Speaker
And someone was like, you've got like inbuilt filtration in your body. And it's like, I understand that. And that's there to save us. And, but if you want to thrive, why would you give your body extra work? Why, if you can keep those chemicals outside of your body, if you had two plates and one was filled with chemicals and rust and rubbish,
00:14:53
Speaker
and all this crap, and the other one was empty, like you would pick. The good one. Yes, you wouldn't be picking the one that's full of crap. like Exactly. Anyway, I sometimes ba bang my head at the wall. Male fertility or infertility and that MTHFR link. So a 2015 study linked MTHFR mutations to male infertility as well, particularly in cases of unexplained low sperm motility and DNA fragmentation.
00:15:17
Speaker
Poor methylation may impair sperm DNA integrity. impacting fertilization and embryo development as well. Because back in the day, it was just a woman's problem. And study Now we know, which it's so ridiculous when you think about it, like the egg and the sperm. Yes, the woman houses and grows the baby, but really it's the egg and the sperm that meets with both. 50-50. Exactly.
00:15:41
Speaker
So essentially, in summary, the MTHFR gene mutation does lead to under-methylation of folate, and can lead to decreased methylfolate levels and in some cases high homocysteine levels which then leads to complications in implantation or early pregnancy issues like loss or miscarriage.
00:16:02
Speaker
So how do you know if you have this MTHFR gene mutation? It's honestly as simple as testing. honestly a blood test. You may have to ask for it or we can order it for you because a lot of GPs will not do it until recently. A lot of them are just like, I don't know what you're asking me. I don't know what to do, which is yeah, ridiculous, but that's okay.
00:16:22
Speaker
We're getting there. a lot of doctors, though, I guess there are some great ones in the fertility space that will look into this. So it's honestly lucky, dear. It's like with anything. There's good and bad of all. So it's not always there's not always going to be clear signs of MTHFR gene mutation. So testing is really essential there because miscarriages can be from other things as well.
00:16:41
Speaker
But honestly, a quick blood test can tell us if it's that or not. Yeah, and then rule it out. Exactly. So we actually order the MTHFR testing for our clients. It's really simple. there There is a swab, but we usually do the blood testing, but the results are usually back within two to three weeks.
00:16:56
Speaker
Like it's quick. And with a GP, sometimes it can be quicker, but is, yeah, usually can be like pulling teeth, trying to get some of this testing, although it is becoming more and more popular, but then we can actually support you accordingly.
00:17:09
Speaker
So it's also good to note that MTHFR is not commonly the sole reason our clients can't conceive. It's just a big part of the picture often. And typically once we support that, we do start to see great results with our clients.
00:17:24
Speaker
So once we do get on top of the issue, we can then start to see some great results there. So how can you support your fertility and health with the MTHFR gene mutation?
00:17:35
Speaker
So definitely optimizing folate. So for more reasons than just this one, please throw out your elephant or the folic acid if you have another option or you're able to get another vitamin or mineral that has it in there. Because unfortunately, things like with your elephant, it has very poor forms of nutrients and really low dose as well.
00:17:58
Speaker
It's really bad. We ensure all of our clients with or without the MTHFR gene are on a good quality natal supplement that includes activated methylfolate. So check your natal, check your prenatal.
00:18:09
Speaker
If it says folic acid, but it doesn't have any methylated folate in there, then yeah, it's time to get a new one. the folate can, or like methylfolate can actually support the folic acid. So if there's a little bit of folic acid and then lots of folate, that's fine.
00:18:27
Speaker
But if it's all folic acid and no methylfolate, that's when there is a concern. So just check it out. The active form bypasses the need for the MTHFR enzyme conversion. So obviously if you've got the gene mutation, you don't have that process happening, it'll bypass that. So essentially without the MTHFR enzyme, you can't convert the folic acid into the methylfolate and it builds up in the body and causes yeah an issue.
00:18:52
Speaker
It's not good. um So we really want to be able to clear it out and just not have that issue happen when it's in our control. Check your homocysteine levels. We mentioned this a couple of times earlier, but homocysteine is an amino acid that plays a role in methylation and metabolism, particularly in the processing of folate and vitamin Bs.
00:19:12
Speaker
It is a by-product of methionine metabolism and is normally recycled into other useful components with the help of vitamins B6, B12 and folate.
00:19:25
Speaker
Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with increased oxidative stress, inflammation and blood clotting issues, which can impact implantation and pregnancy maintenance.
00:19:37
Speaker
a simple blood test can check this as well so while you're getting your mthfr let's check in on your homocysteine we also want to support methylation pathways so nutrients like b12 b6 both in their bioavailable forms we want to make sure not just the standard ones choline is really great magnesium they're all essential for proper methylation We really want to start to clean up your diet and reduce inflammation.
00:20:02
Speaker
Remove any foods that have synthetic folate in them. Trust me, when you look at how many foods actually do, you'll be very shocked. Goodbye to packaged cereals and Vegemite.
00:20:14
Speaker
So sad. But you can get some pretty good natural Vegemite alternatives. I don't think they're as good, but hey, you can swap it out for something else like a nut butter or something. and adapt an anti-inflammatory diet rich in leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and also omega-3s. These can support overall fertility health as well.
00:20:34
Speaker
And also lifestyle factors, minimize exposures to toxins, managing stress, and prioritizing quality sleep, all very important, all of which impacts methylation and reproductive health as well.
00:20:49
Speaker
For a lot of our clients, and I'm sure others out there on their fertility journey and who are trying to conceive, it can be so overwhelming and such an emotional rollercoaster. It is our duty as naturopaths to go above and beyond for our clients and optimize their chances as best as we can, which we're always trying to do.
Engagement and Connection
00:21:08
Speaker
So this is why we always say testss and don't guess. So we can see more and find out more. And I'm not saying that it's going to be two weeks and you're pregnant. A lot of the time it takes couple of months, if not can take longer, depending on where you're at in your health journey.
00:21:24
Speaker
But so much more we can do by getting the answers and finding out where we're going and working towards that. So yes, if you're looking for support, please come and find us. We are on Instagram, which is mungbean underscore health.
00:21:39
Speaker
Or you can visit our website at www.mungbeanhealth.com. Or even on TikTok where mungbean underscore health. I've been sharing a lot of fertility news on there. Yeah. Been sharing a lot on there. So yes, we'd love to hear from you. We are on Facebook as well, mungbeanhealth. Yeah, not as popular on there, but that's okay. If that's the only way you can find us, please reach out and we can't wait to help you.
00:22:00
Speaker
you later. Thanks for tuning in. Bye guys.
00:22:09
Speaker
And that's a wrap on today's dose of wellness. I'm Rhiannon, your fertility fairy godmother. Thank you for joining us. Stay connected with us on Instagram at mungbin underscore health.