Methylation

Methylation is one of the body's most important ‘behind-the-scenes’ processes. Happening millions of times every second, it helps regulate everything from energy production and hormone balance to detoxification, neurotransmitters, DNA repair, and how we respond to stress. Yes, it is literally involves in every reaction in your body. At its heart, methylation is the process of transferring tiny chemical tags, called methyl groups (one carbon with 3 hydrogens if you like a bit of chemistry), from one molecule to another. To do this efficiently, the body relies on nutrients such as folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, zinc, choline, methionine and more. Together, these nutrients help produce a molecule called SAMe, which acts as one of the body's main methyl donors.

One of the most fascinating jobs of methylation is helping regulate gene expression. Think of your DNA as a vast library of instructions. Just because a gene exists does not mean it is being actively used. Methylation helps determine which instructions are turned up, turned down, or temporarily switched off. This process, known as epigenetics, helps explain why two people with similar genetics can have very different health outcomes depending on factors such as nutrition, stress, sleep, environmental exposures, and lifestyle. Ever come across the term biochemical individuality? Well, methylation is one of the reasons it exists.

It does not stop there… Methylation also plays a practical role in everyday life. It helps produce creatine (not only for gym bros but also for those looking to help prevent dementia), energy, melatonin for sleep, phospholipids for healthy cell membranes, and neurotransmitters involved in mood, motivation, focus, and resilience. It is also involved in breaking down and recycling hormones, chemicals, and metabolic by-products that the body no longer needs. Knowing about methylation is vital in nutritional medicine; no practitioner should leave School without a deep understanding of methylation.