Telomeres, Methylation and Diet

[Cort]

Interesting blog from Suzy Cohen

Check out the whole blog here -
http://suzycohen.com/articles/methy...a028ef63294e7afff9251b12ad3bf380551e5c6cf2740


But folate and “folic acid” are not exactly the same. The folate form is critical for methylation, the folic acid form might hinder methylation. That comes as a shock to many people, and if you’d like to understand the difference between these 2 B vitamins, and which one is synthetic (avoid), then read my article, Genes, Methylation and Your Health.

Human studies have confirmed that Vitamin B12 is also required for healthy telomeres. A recent study published in the European Journal of Nutrition studied telomeres from 60 elderly people. They compared supplement intake with vitamin B6, B12, folate, calcium, and vitamin D (versus just vitamin D and calcium). Then they measured homocysteine levels. After a year, they found that individuals who had elevated homocysteine and reduced B vitamin intake, had reduced methylation and shorter telomeres. This group was literally aging faster.

There are very expensive supplements designed to support telomere health, but I never recommend them. I just haven’t seen credible enough studies on them to justify the small mortgage of a price. So I suggest two natural B vitamins (B9 and B12) to improve detoxification. You can get them from eating a salad every day! 
You can also supplement, start low and go slow noting reactions or improvement. Eating is ideal though, as you can’t get any harmful side effects of nutrients that way.