MTHFR what?

MTHFR is an acronym for an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This enzyme is involved in methylation reactions, which act like a switch turning genes on and off. Methylation is essential for biochemical processes, including those important for healthy skin, like:

Processing amino acids to make proteins

Using antioxidants

Detoxification

Breaking down histamine

The problem with MTHFR

If you have an MTHFR genetic mutation, methylation pathways may be adversely affected, which can cause problems like:

Inability to convert folic acid (synthetic B9) to folate, the active form needed for these reactions.

Glutathione (your body's master antioxidant) production can be impaired. Lower antioxidants increase inflammation (a driver for rashes like eczema). Glutathione plays an important role in liver detoxification too.

Methylation breaks down Histamine!

Your body makes histamine. It’s necessary for brain health and digestive health, and it’s released by immune cells when they are triggered.
Histamine is found naturally in many healthy foods.
Histamine is made by bacteria, like those in the gut, and histamine-producing bacteria are found in probiotic supplements.
That’s a lot of histamine! If methylation is impaired, it can interfere with how your child’s body processes it. If their body can’t, the excess can increase itching, rash flares, allergy-like, and many other symptoms.

What you can do about mTHFR

Avoid folic acid in food (it’s added to processed foods) and in supplements, so read labels. Ingesting folic acid with MTHFR can increase homocysteine, which increases inflammation (again a driver of rashes like eczema).

You can test for MTHFR through functional labs and your conventional doctor (request it). There are a lot of different genetic mutations that can exist with MTHFR, but the two that are considered most problematic are C677T and A1298C (AKA 677 and 1298). Remember, just because there’s a gene for something doesn’t mean it’s expressed. Only when it’s expressed does it result in symptoms.

Supplement with the active form of vitamins B9 (methlyfolate), B12 (methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, hydroxycobalamin), and B6 (pyridoxine-5-phosphate/P5P).

Eat foods naturally rich in these nutrients like salmon, oysters, mussels, leafy greens, beef, organ meats, legumes, and eggs.

Root cause approach to Rosacea

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin problem that shows up as redness, flushing, flaking and dryness, visible blood vessels, and acne-like pustules on the face. The face might look “ruddy” or sunburned. Rosacea can affect the eyes, too, and cause tearing, light sensitivity, eye redness, and blurred vision.

Flare-ups can be triggered by internal and external factors including gut health, genetics, immune system dysfunction, diet, environmental triggers, and emotional stress.

Conventional treatments for rosacea typically include antibiotics, and various topical interventions to help control symptoms. A root cause approach looks deeper, and ties together the variety of possible triggers for your unique case with underlying problems that are causing it, and that are making it worse.

The Gut-Skin Connection

Research has established a strong link between gut health and skin conditions, including rosacea. Imbalances in the gut microbiome, and gastrointestinal conditions including H. pylori, low stomach acid, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) or leaky gut syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, candida overgrowth, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are often found in people who have rosacea. These imbalances can increase inflammation throughout the body, which makes skin symptoms worse.

Testing for gut problems is critical. Good places to start are with a comprehensive stool test (GI Map - use code R-AFIT to order) to identify microbial imbalances, and a breath test for SIBO (Trio-Smart/IMO (Glucose) - Gemelli Biotech Lab Kit - use code R-AFIT to order).

Diet changes

Certain foods are known to trigger rosacea flares, avoiding them can help manage symptoms. Common triggers are spicy foods, chocolate, citrus, cinnamon, alcohol, hot beverages, caffeine, and high histamine foods (like tomatoes, avocado, aged cheese, dried fruit, cured meats, smoked fish, vinegar, spinach, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, eggplant, and fermented foods). Inflammatory foods (refined sugars, processed junk foods, gluten, white flour, processed vegetable oils, and artificial sweeteners) can be triggering, too. Focus on an antiinflammatory diet, and foods high in:

Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish and flaxseed) to help reduce systemic inflammation.
Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to support skin health.
Fiber to promote gut health and reduce inflammatory reactions in the body.

Topical and Natural Therapies

There are some natural, gentle options you can use on the skin to soothe without harsh side effects:

Green tea extract: Rich in anti-inflammatory polyphenols, green tea has been shown to reduce redness and irritation.
Colloidal oatmeal: Often used to calm sensitive skin and reduce inflammation.
Niacinamide: A form of vitamin B3 that helps strengthen the skin barrier and reduce redness.

Stress Management

Stress is a major trigger for rosacea flares, and emotional or physical stress can make the condition worse. Managing stress is a critical, and regular exercise and adequate sleep are important, too!

Environmental and Lifestyle Changes

Environmental triggers including extreme temperatures, wind, ultra violet exposure, and even irritating skincare products can make rosacea worse. Avoid harsh cleansers and switch to gentle, fragrance-free products, use sunscreen daily to protect, and protect the skin from extreme weather with scarves or hats.

A Comprehensive Approach

Supporting the body’s natural healing processes while addressing the root causes of inflammation and immune dysfunction can help solve the problem, and provide long-term relief.

These natural strategies can make a big difference when dealing with rosacea, but if things get tough, don’t hesitate to get professional support!

Clinical Pearls:

Your skin is your largest organ. It protects your body, makes vitamin D, is important for detoxification, and much more.

Your gut microbiome is your second largest organ, and gut dysfunction can cause skin problems.

Reference

Rupa Health. (2023). Integrative Dermatology Approach to Rosacea. Rupa Health. Retrieved from https://www.rupahealth.com/post/integrative-dermatology-approach-to-rosacea. Accessed October 11, 2024.