Living with Anxiety, The COMT gene mutation

 

COMT gene mutation, and what you can do about it. 

Managing your anxiety and depression through up regulating your genes.

As we are getting geared more towards personalize nutrition, getting our genetics sequenced helps streamline the process. Through certain sites you can pay a fee to get your genetics sequenced, and then upload your data into third party businesses to evaluate your genetic risk factors, gene mutations, and personalized diets & workouts. 

The COMT gene is what we are focusing on today. This gene is in control of metabolizing your stress hormones (Epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, adrenaline) and estrogen. When people do not have mutation, a stressful event occurs, you get a rush of your stress hormones, and after the stressful event passes your body metabolizes the stress hormones and your body returns back to homeostasis. When you either have a double or single gene mutation, your body see that’s stressful events, it reacts by increasing your stress hormones, and then once the stressful event is over, it has a hard time metabolizing the hormones, and your body is left in a still-highly-stressed state. If several events happen in a row, your body will build up enough hormones to have an anxiety attack, or a mental break down. 

COMT gene mutation is associated with anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental illnesses. Also, women with this gene mutation tend to be estrogen dominate, causing your hormones to be out of balance which leads to more problems within itself. It's important to understand that your body rarely converts back to homeostasis, and you are not able to handle average stressful events in your life. 

Good news is this gene mutation (whether it be a double or single mutation) is completely manageable. Nutraceuticals can extremely useful over a western medicine approach of SSRIs. 

The important: 

DIM

Start with 100mg first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. DIM is promoted as a weight loss drug, but many bodybuilders incorporated it in because it uses a different pathway to metabolize estrogens. It is often prescribed to reduce PMS symptoms and for women with estrogen dominance.  

Calcium D Glucarate

 This along with DIM helps metabolize estrogen and also helps in level 2 liver support. Regardless of your mutations, this is a crucial supplement for detox in every day lives of Americans.

Adenosyl or Hydroxy b12

 1 capsule anytime of the day. Be sure that the B complex you get is not methylated. People who have the COMT mutation has issues with the methyl donors in a methylated B complex. A good option for this is pure encapsulations B complex. It works both well for the COMT mutation and the MTHFR mutation.

Magnesium Taurate/Glycinate

Two both favorable forms of magnesium. Because of the poor soil quality in the United States, everyone is deficient in this essential mineral. Glycinate is bonded to a amino acid glycine which should be taken at night for sleep, and Taurate in the morning. Both help calms your neurotransmitters down. This is an absolute must. 400mg morning and night. Magnesium is crucial for the stress response in the body.

*People who have the COMT gene mutation are referred to being the canary in the coal mine, sensitive to everything. Getting a food intolerance test, or doing an elimination diet is essential. Keeping foods that cause an inflammation response in the body will help keep the stress hormones low.

COMT are OVER-methylators. Suuplements such as SAMe, tyrosine, and methyl B’s can not be tolerated. If you do find yourself over methylated, taking niacin will mop up the extra methyls in the body. Common signs of over methylation is: exhaustion, quick to angry, depression, paranoia, racing thoughts, highs hit with chronic lows.

If you need help with your genetics, or have any questions. Contact Kristin@modernthriving.com