Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase or also called MTHFR is a particular type of enzyme that breaks down the amino acid homocysteine and folate (aka folic acid). Both of these substances have their pros and cons. Excessive homocysteine is not so good, while folic acid is a B vitamin that’s important for cell growth and metabolism. A person with MTHFR Gene Mutations will suffer from too much homocysteine and not enough folate.

Homocysteine is an amino acid found in your blood. Eating meat is the most typical way to get it through diet. High levels of homocysteine are linked to the early development of heart disease. In fact, high homocysteine is a specific risk factor for heart disease, and is associated with low vitamin B6, B12, and folate, and is commonly linked to renal disease.

MTHFR has the potential to mutate, and it can either interfere with the enzyme’s ability to function normally or entirely inactivate it. People have two types of MTHFR genes that they inherit from each of their parents. It can affect one heterozygous or homozygous of these genes.