Self-care, Gallbladder and MTHFR
By Logan Duvall
Hardships are the greatest motivator.
If my grandfather and child hadn’t gotten cancer, I would never have dived into trying to overcome the disease. But, instead, the most significant hardship of my life proved to be an opportunity to grow and help others.
Now that I’ve been in the depths of understanding health and disease, I’ve concluded that self is the answer.
We can’t live our lives without consequences. Therefore, I always consider the biblical principle, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
This is simply caused and effect.
A lifetime of dietary and lifestyle choices leads to our current condition, for better or worse.
Preventing the worst is where self-care comes in. It’s where the vast majority of prevention can be found.
Here is the basic plan to summarize what I’ve seen change lives.
- Follow an eating plan. Two easily accessible ones I trust are Dr. Terry Walhs and her Walhs’ Protocol, especially for those with autoimmune issues, and/or Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Diet.
- Consider nutrient-dense supplements – collagen, humic/fulvic minerals, organs, mushrooms and spirulina/chlorella. This is in conjunction with eating a diet filled with quality foods.
- Remove gluten, added sugar, and vegetable oils. Now. Let me repeat: NOW!
- Supplements – Just Thrive Probiotics, Magnesium Breakthrough, Vitamin D3 and K2, and UltraCur. These make up the foundation covering common deficiencies.
- Make stress relief a priority. Methods come in various ways, but managing stress increases overall well-being.
- Work with a healthcare provider with a holistic approach, whether a naturopath, functional doctor, integrative practitioner, chiropractor, or MD who looks at the root cause or WHY you are sick.
One of the top issues I’ve seen involves gallbladder removal surgery. The negatives for those who have undergone this procedure are profound, and I’ve become highly aggravated at the lack of follow-up education.
There is no reason for anyone to suffer. With proper self-care, most, if not all, gallbladders can be saved. It’s an extremely important organ.
Your gallbladder is a four-inch, pear-shaped organ. It’s positioned under your liver in the upper-right section of your abdomen, which stores bile. Bile helps break down fat from food in your intestine. The gallbladder delivers bile into the small intestine. This allows fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients to be more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. [1]
If you’ve already had your gallbladder removed, one of the most important things to do is to supplement with digestive aids that help break down fat. Dr. Berg has a great formula that I’ve received amazing feedback on.
In researching the advice given by medical professionals, “cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure where 80% of patients can return to their pre-surgery routines without problems and for the other 20% may reduce fats.” I hope you can hear my eyes rolling. This is asinine advice and precisely why so many are needlessly suffering.
Gallbladder issues, by my estimations, are due to improper liver functions and poor diet. I’m trying not to go on a tangent but as you read this, remember I have no formal medical education and am a layman. My experience is through solving problems for my loved ones, like my son with cancer.
My mother’s digestive issues for years after having her gallbladder are extreme, and I don’t want her or anyone else to suffer. She has had miraculous improvements with dietary changes and supplements.
Gene Variations
This topic may be the most difficult one I’ve ever tried to make sense of.
Another childhood Wilms cancer parent asked me if I had Lander tested for the MTHFR gene variation.
As a medical professional, she believed it was connected to cancer. I had not and at the time, wasn’t familiar with MTHFR at all, but it sent me on another rabbit trail of learning.
Signs of MTHFR Mutation [2]
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Chronic inflammation
- Chronic fatigue
- Dizziness
- Hives
- Allergies
- Eczema
- Asthma
- Heightened reaction to allergens
- Elevated liver enzymes
- Increased red blood cell folate
- Decreased white cell levels
- Decreased immune function
- High Homocysteine levels
- Low B12
- Mood Disorders
- Fibrocystic ovaries and breasts
- Tenderness and swelling of breasts
- Mood swings
- Irregular menstruation cycle
- Food cravings
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Heavy periods
- Painful Periods
- Endometriosis (overgrowth of tissue lining the uterus, this is often painful)
- Fibroids
- Miscarriage
- Down syndrome
- Neural tube defects (Cleft lip/palate and spina bifida)
- Elevated blood pressure
- Anencephaly, encephalocele
- Bedwetting [3]
I bought the book, Dirty Genes by Dr Ben Lynch to begin trying to understand. Wow, so many lightbulb moments going through his information.
In the easiest way I can explain, the MTHFR gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, thus the methylation cycle. Which as I now know is a crucial biological process.
“The methylation cycle is a series of chemical changes that occur in the body, the primary purpose of which is to regulate neurotransmitters, regulate genetic repair and expression, and generate energy-rich molecules such as ATP. Many other important biological cyclical processes intersect with the methylation cycle.” [4]
If seen, estimations of 40% to 70% of the population have this variation. I am homozygous for MTHFR C677T, which means I have two copies and will have passed on one to my kids. Therefore Lander has at least one.
Because everyone completely trusts government agencies’ perfect recommendations on what is in the best interest of the population, I want to share the CDC’s stance on MTHFR and Folic Acid. Keep in mind, this information is contrary to what I have learned from every functional medicine practitioner I have spoken with.
Read them here.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/mthfr-gene-and-folic-acid.html
B Vitamins are very important. Folate is one of them and crucial to the methylation cycle. Folic acid is parroted by healthcare and dietitians to be the same thing.
Dr. Carol Savage says in the MTHFR Gene Mutation Facebook group with over 40k members:
“FOLIC ACID … is not recommended for those with the MTHFR variants.
So many doctors and scientists are ignorant about all the forms of folate.
Only two forms of folate are “reduced” and all the rest of the forms of folate are “OXIDIZED,” and the worst of the bunch is Folic ACID which is doubly oxidized and must go through the DHFR enzyme twice to become TMG.
I blame the medical schools for incorrectly referring to the unnatural, man made form of folate called FOLIC ACID as though it was Vitamin B9. No, it is NOT. Only “reduced” forms of folate called L-Methyl Folate [5-MTHF] and Folinic acid 5-FormylTHF, Leucovorin] can enter the brain.
The unnatural, man-made folic ACID actually BLOCKS UP the folate alpha Receptors [FRa] on the blood-brain barrier [BBB] and actually prevents the real folates [the “reduced” folates] from getting into the brain.
The OB/GYNs have women with the MTHFR gene mutations taking the highly oxidized Folic ACID. It doesn’t matter to the women who do not have the MTHFR variants … they will do OK on Folic ACID, but it is NOT OK for the women who do have the MTHFR variants, and about 50% of the population carry one or two copies of either MTHFR C677T or MTHFR A1289C.”
How do I know if I have the mutation?
I did the following to find out the gene variations I have.
- Take Ancestry DNA test – 23andMe also works
- Buy StrateGene® Report from Seeking Health
- Upload raw data
- Get Report
The report is overwhelming but it gives the foundational information to begin making impactful changes that will vastly improve quality of life.
The conventional guidance is to take methylated folate. This is horrible advice, and I messed myself up significantly. Do not try to fix gene mutations by yourself with supplementing.
MTHFR mutation plays a role in depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders with mood-regulating neurotransmitter production.
By supplementing, I went from undermethylation to overmethylation, which caused an emotional spiral and overwhelming anxiety and deep depression. I caught this quickly but it was scary.
The best way to take care of “Dirty genes” is by first having awareness around the subject.
Then, stress management, quality sleep, a healthy diet, and helping the body detoxify is the foundation of overcoming. While this topic is heavy, just remember it’s extremely important.
If I sound down on the medical systems – I am. But, I have tremendous hope. Believe it or not, I am asked questions in regular conversations at the market and thanked for more information I put out by doctors, nurses, professors, and other professionals who have a massive influence on these topics. They give hope, and I sincerely feel the tide shifting in awareness.
I don’t have sympathy or patience for the healthcare providers that don’t question things and blindly follow the status quo. Obviously, there are regulations that must be abided, but good lord. We are sicker today than we were 10, 20, or 30 years ago.
We can’t keep doing the same things and expect a different result.
We are in control of our own lives, and taking charge of it is the first step. These are the basics of a prosperous life.
[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/gallbladder-problems-symptoms
[2] https://mthfrgenesupport.com/2018/07/5-common-mthfr-symptoms-and-how-to-manage-your-gene-mutation/