GENETICS

Your MTHFR result, in plain English

MTHFR is one of the most-searched genes for a reason — and one of the most over-hyped. Here is the honest version.

What MTHFR does

MTHFR helps convert folate into its active form (5-MTHF), which your body uses to recycle homocysteine. Common variants — C677T and A1298C — can modestly reduce that activity.

What it does and does not mean

A single variant is rarely a crisis. What matters is the combination of variants you carry, plus your actual labs — homocysteine, B12 and folate. This is exactly why a marker should never be read in isolation: the gene tells you part of the story, the bloodwork tells you whether it is doing anything.

How to read yours in context

Whale DNA pulls your MTHFR genotype from your raw file and reads it alongside your other variants and, if you upload them, your blood panels — so you get the real picture instead of one scary line.

Frequently asked

Is MTHFR a disease?
No. It is a common variant — a large share of people carry one copy, and most are perfectly healthy.
Should I take methylfolate?
Talk to your doctor and check your homocysteine and B12 first; do not start mega-dosing based on a single genotype.
Where do I find my MTHFR result?
It is already in your 23andMe or AncestryDNA raw file — Whale DNA surfaces your genotype for you.
You already have the data

Upload your raw DNA and ask it anything — $10 for the full report.

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