Methylation
Methylation is the behind-the-scenes regulator of detox, neurotransmitter production, and gene expression. Suboptimal activity is surprisingly common—and highly responsive to the right form of B-vitamins. If you've ever taken B-complex and felt nothing (or worse), this is probably why.
What this measures
How your DNA shapes methylation.
Methylation is your body’s most fundamental maintenance process — the addition of small methyl groups (-CH3) to proteins, DNA, and other molecules. It runs billions of times per day across every cell, regulating gene expression, repairing DNA, building neurotransmitters, clearing hormones, and detoxifying.
The genes that govern the methylation cycle (MTHFR, MTR, MTRR, BHMT, COMT, CBS) interact in ways that shift overall capacity. Carriers of multiple lower-activity variants tend to run "tight" on methyl-donor supply — the system works, but margin is narrow. Carriers of higher-activity variants in some genes and lower in others can produce mixed pictures that depend on which inputs are currently limiting.
Methyl donors come from folate, B12, choline, betaine, and (indirectly) protein. Alcohol depletes folate. Chronic stress drains COMT output. Heavy exercise increases methyl-donor demand. Each is a lever that moves the cycle’s effective output — and the right lever depends on which step of the cycle is constrained.
Methylation is the substrate underneath mood, energy, detox, hormones, and cardiovascular risk. Knowing where your cycle has margin and where it has friction is what turns generic "take B vitamins!" guidance into a real protocol.
Methylation is one specific finding in this system. Your Genomic Lifestyle Optimization Report shows where your variants place you on the detoxification pathways spectrum — and what you can do about it.
In your report
Where Methylation lives inside your Genomic Lifestyle Optimization Report.
Methylation renders as a dark-background card with a color marker calibrated to your specific variants. The card opens with the gene mechanism, shows your result at a glance via that marker, and closes with a practical, mechanism-led recommendation — what to eat, what to time, what cofactors to support.
Want to see what a real Mosaic dark card looks like? Walk through a sample report →
In context
Phase II Pathways: the 4-insight cluster.
Methylation is one finding in a tightly-related cluster. Mosaic sequences the other 3 alongside it so you see the whole biology — not an isolated data point.
- AcetylationThis pathway handles histamine, caffeine, and a long list of chemicals and medications. Slow acetylators often experience fragrance sensitivity, medication side effects, or react to things that most people tolerate. Once you know, you can support the bottleneck instead of wondering why everything bothers you.
- Glutathione Support NeedsGlutathione is your body's master antioxidant—the one that recycles all the others. Some people produce plenty; others run chronically low without knowing it. Lower genetic output is common and responds well to precursors like NAC, glycine, and selenium. This is often the missing piece for people who "do everything right" but still feel run down.
- MTHFR ActivityMTHFR converts synthetic folic acid into the active methylfolate your body uses. Reduced function is common, affecting up to 40% of people. If you're one of them, standard prenatal vitamins and fortified foods won't cut it. Methylfolate supplementation bypasses the bottleneck entirely.
Questions people ask
About Methylation.
- How does my DNA influence methylation?
- Phase I (CYP450 enzymes), Phase II (sulfation, glucuronidation, methylation), and Phase III (transport) — the three-act process by which your body neutralizes everything from caffeine to alcohol to environmental compounds. Genetic variants in any phase shift the kinetics, and the bottleneck moves accordingly.
- What kind of test do I need to see my Methylation result?
- Whole-genome sequencing at 30× clinical depth. Consumer SNP-chip tests like 23andMe or AncestryDNA only read ~0.02% of your DNA and miss most of the variants this analysis needs. Mosaic reads all 3 billion base pairs and produces the full 108-insight report.
- How is Methylation different from clinical lab testing?
- Clinical labs measure downstream biomarkers — blood levels, hormone values, metabolic byproducts — at a single point in time. Genomic insights like Methylation reveal the underlying variant that shapes the biology, which is constant for life. The two are complementary: labs show the current snapshot; genomics shows the long-term tendency and where lifestyle leverage is highest.
More from Detoxification Pathways
detoxification pathways
Acetaminophen Metabolism
Your liver clears Tylenol at its own pace—fast, intermediate, or slow. If you're a slow processor, standard doses linger longer than they should, and "take two every four hours" might be too much for your system. This guides safe dosing and prevents accidental overload.
Read insight →detoxification pathways
Acetylation
This pathway handles histamine, caffeine, and a long list of chemicals and medications. Slow acetylators often experience fragrance sensitivity, medication side effects, or react to things that most people tolerate. Once you know, you can support the bottleneck instead of wondering why everything bothers you.
Read insight →detoxification pathways
Anesthetics Metabolism
Some people wake up from anesthesia quickly and clearly; others are groggy for hours or experience prolonged side effects. Your clearance rate predicts which camp you're in—valuable information before any procedure requiring sedation.
Read insight →detoxification pathways
Glutathione Support Needs
Glutathione is your body's master antioxidant—the one that recycles all the others. Some people produce plenty; others run chronically low without knowing it. Lower genetic output is common and responds well to precursors like NAC, glycine, and selenium. This is often the missing piece for people who "do everything right" but still feel run down.
Read insight →detoxification pathways
MTHFR Activity
MTHFR converts synthetic folic acid into the active methylfolate your body uses. Reduced function is common, affecting up to 40% of people. If you're one of them, standard prenatal vitamins and fortified foods won't cut it. Methylfolate supplementation bypasses the bottleneck entirely.
Read insight →detoxification pathways
Medication Metabolism
The enzyme family that processes roughly half of all prescription drugs. Your version determines whether standard doses work perfectly, cause side effects, or barely register. This prevents the trial-and-error prescribing that leaves people cycling through medications, wondering why nothing works right.
Read insight →
One test. 108 personalized findings. All yours.
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