27 | id == 27
27 | category_id == 4
27 | category_order == 1
27 | category_name == Brain
27 | category_color == #C47AC0
27 | slug == Fight-Oxidative-Stress-With-UGT2A1
27 | title == Is Your Low Glutathione Causing Brain Fog? (UGT2A1)
27 | meta_description == Oxidative stress causes inflammation & DNA damage in your brain, reducing cognitive function! Learn how to optimize UGT2A1 here.
27 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Oxidative stress can be responsible for a wide variety of health problems, such as inflammation and DNA damage. Your brain is particularly sensitive to these negative effects, which means that reducing oxidative stress is critical for ensuring optimal cognitive function! Read on to learn more about <em>UGT2A1</em>, a very important gene for fighting the negative influence of oxidative stress throughout your body and brain.</strong></p>
27 | overall_score_text == Your cognitive function score (based on UGT2A1 gene)
27 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/Protect-Your-Brain-From-Oxidative-Stress-With-The-UGT2A1-Gene_JPG.jpg
27 | author_id == 4
27 | author_name == Matt Carland
27 | author_title == PhD
27 | author_order == 10
27 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Matt.jpg
27 | author_intro == <p><strong>Matt received his PhD at the Universit&eacute; de Montr&eacute;al in Neuroscience.</strong></p>    <p>Matt holds multiple degrees in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. He has over a decade of experience in academic research and has published a number of articles in scholarly journals. He currently works as a neuropsychologist in Montreal, where he performs research on the links between personality traits and the development of clinical disorders such as addiction, compulsive gambling, and disordered eating.</p>
27 | reviewer_id == 1
27 | reviewer_name == Jasmine Foster
27 | reviewer_title == BSc, BEd
27 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
27 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
27 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
27 | publish_date == 2019
27 | publish_date == 8
27 | publish_date == 27
27 | avg_rating == 5.0
27 | tags_id == 34
27 | tags_name == Brain Fog
27 | tags_id == 13
27 | tags_name == Cognition
27 | tags_id == 40
27 | tags_name == DNA Repair
27 | tags_id == 78
27 | tags_name == Glutathione
27 | tags_id == 24
27 | tags_name == Inflammation
27 | tags_id == 28
27 | tags_name == Intelligence
27 | tags_id == 39
27 | tags_name == Oxidative Stress
27 | tags_id == 79
27 | tags_name == UGT2A1 Gene
27 | permissions_favorite == False
27 | permissions_rate == False
27 | content_article == <table style="width: 90%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1" cellpadding="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: justify;"><strong>Note:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is one of the 45 unique intelligence-related genes that we analyze in our comprehensive </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mind-protocol-nm/"><strong><em>Cognitive Function DNA Wellness Report</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about the genes that affect your cognitive ability, and the actionable steps that you can take to boost your cognition even further, check it out!</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h1 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Is Oxidative Stress, And Why Is It Important?</strong></h1> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/oxidative-stress-101/"><strong>Oxidative stress</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is caused by the build-up of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">reactive oxygen species</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (ROS), sometimes also known as &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">free radicals</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;. These are types of molecules that can cause damage to many different types of cells [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12797466"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Normally, your body uses free radicals to do helpful things, such as killing invading bacteria, or causing damaged cells to &ldquo;self-destruct&rdquo; so that they don&rsquo;t go on to cause cancers or other major health problems [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16430879"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12234732"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11424232"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, when too many free radicals build up, they can start having negative effects on normal, healthy cells. This can cause widespread problems throughout the body and brain, such as damaging cells&rsquo; DNA, or triggering systemic inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12797466"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Therefore, your body needs to keep a careful balance between producing just enough free radicals to be useful, while also producing enough of the natural antioxidant compounds that help break these down so that they don&rsquo;t build up and cause widespread damage [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12797466"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oxidative stress is caused by the excessive build-up of &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">free radicals</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">,&rdquo; which can trigger a variety of health issues such as chronic inflammation and DNA damage.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h1 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Does The </strong><strong><em>UGT2A1</em></strong><strong> Gene Do?</strong></h1> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is where the </span><a href="../../gene/UGT2A1/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> comes in. This important gene codes for a protein called </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UDP glucuronosyltransferase</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This protein helps create </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glutathione-30-scientifically-proven-health-benefits-glutathione/"><strong><em>glutathione</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, one of your body&rsquo;s strongest natural antioxidant defenses against the harmful effects of oxidative stress [</span><a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/glutathione"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22500213"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26133750"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Glutathione binds directly to </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">reactive oxygen species</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and neutralizes them, thereby preventing them from causing damage to cells [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30022966"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/oxidative-stress-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">oxidative stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can affect many different aspects of your health, your brain is especially sensitive to the negative effects of oxidative stress. Therefore, the variants you carry in this gene can have significant effects on your overall cognitive functioning by determining how much glutathione you produce. </span><strong>The more glutathione you have, the more your brain is protected against inflammation and cellular DNA damage</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22500213"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26133750"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maintaining proper glutathione levels in the brain can also help prevent cognitive decline due to normal aging and protect you against cognitive impairments from neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson&rsquo;s disease) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26467067"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30022966"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em>UGT2A1 </em>helps produce <em>glutathione</em>, one of your body&rsquo;s strongest natural antioxidant defenses. The more glutathione you have, the better-protected your brain is against many different factors that can potentially reduce your cognitive ability.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h1 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>UGT2A1</em></strong><strong> Genotype</strong></h1> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can see your genotype for the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNP </span><a href="../../snp/rs10518065/"><strong>rs10518065</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the table below:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*9383115166153446*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*6557662931531403*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />The two possible alleles for this SNP are &lsquo;A&rsquo; and &lsquo;G&rsquo;. </span><strong>When it comes to optimal cognitive function, it&rsquo;s better to have two copies of the more common major &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (which about 70% of the general population carries)</span><strong>.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, a large-scale study with over 3,000 participants found that this </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNP was significantly associated with overall intelligence levels, as measured by a large and diverse range of cognitive tests. People with the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele performed better across all of these tests, whereas people with the rarer &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele tended to show relatively poorer cognitive performance [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21826061"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because increased oxidative stress has been associated with a wide variety of cognitive impairments in many different human populations, this strongly suggests that </span><strong>the negative effects of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele are likely due to decreased production of glutathione</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26467067"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30022966"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><strong>]</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In other words, people who carry the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele are better-protected against oxidative stress, whereas people with the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele are more vulnerable.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carriers of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele for </span><strong>rs10518065</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> tend to have lower levels of general intelligence &ndash; most likely because they produce less </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">glutathione</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which makes their brain more vulnerable to the negative effects of oxidative stress.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h1 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Can You Do About </strong><strong><em>UGT2A1</em></strong><strong> Risk Factors?</strong></h1> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you carry the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele for this SNP, don&rsquo;t worry! There are several steps you can take to counteract the negative effect that your genotype might be having on your overall cognitive ability.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because this gene helps produce the antioxidant </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">glutathione</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, there are </span><strong>two main approaches</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you can take to enhancing your cognitive function: the first is to </span><strong>boost your levels of this gene directly</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and the second is to </span><strong>increase your overall levels of glutathione</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in general.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">*2719718918204932*</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One potential way to directly increase this gene&rsquo;s activity is to ensure that you get plenty of </span><strong>cognitive stimulation</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For example, animal studies have found that the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is expressed more (&ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">up-regulated</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;) when animals live in an </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">enriched environment</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">; that is, when they are constantly learning and experiencing new things [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30022966"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. This suggests that keeping your brain active &ndash; such as by learning new skills or using cognitive training programs &ndash; could be a great way to give your </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene a boost!</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for increasing your overall glutathione levels, there are </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glutathione-20-scientifically-proven-health-benefits-glutathione/#Ways_to_Increase_Glutathione"><span style="font-weight: 400;">many different supplements</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that can potentially raise glutathione levels. However, many of these can have trouble getting to the brain before they are broken down by the liver, which can significantly reduce their overall effectiveness when it comes to boosting cognitive function [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26467067"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30951819"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31039164"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24974179"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21875351"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Therefore, </span><strong>we recommend two specific glutathione-boosting supplements</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that don&rsquo;t suffer from these limitations.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of these is </span><strong><em>liposomal glutathione</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a special formulation of glutathione that readily passes through the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/blood-brain-barrier-causes-tests-leaky-brain/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">blood-brain barrier</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, allowing it to act on the brain directly [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24416140"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26133750"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This liposomal form effectively increases overall levels of glutathione in both the blood and the brain. It fights oxidative stress, stimulates the immune system, and even enhances the body&rsquo;s ability to recover from physical exertion [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28853742"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23409922"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31039164"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Therefore, liposomal glutathione would be a great supplement choice for carriers of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele &ndash; especially for athletes and anyone else who </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">exercises</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> regularly!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another effective form of glutathione supplement is </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/nac-top-43-science-based-health-benefits-n-acetyl-cysteine-nac/"><strong><em>N-acetylcysteine</em></strong><strong> (NAC)</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a compound that is a key &ldquo;ingredient&rdquo; (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">metabolic precursor</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) of glutathione. NAC therefore boosts your levels of this critical antioxidant by supplying your body with the raw materials it needs to create glutathione naturally [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28367412"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27117852"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, not only does NAC counteract oxidative stress, but it also fights inflammation, stimulates </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ways-increase-neurogenesis/"><strong>neurogenesis</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and even enhances cognitive function directly [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28438466"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23409922"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">] &ndash; once again making this a great supplement choice for anyone who carries risk alleles in their </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The best ways to counteract potential </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">UGT2A1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> risk factors are with supplements that increase your levels of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">glutathione</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as well as getting plenty of cognitive stimulation in your daily routine.</span></span></p>
27 | content_snp_table_9383115166153446_key == 9383115166153446
27 | content_snp_table_9383115166153446_blur == True
27 | content_snp_table_9383115166153446_hidden == False
27 | content_learn_more_6557662931531403_key == 6557662931531403
27 | content_learn_more_6557662931531403_blur == True
27 | content_learn_more_6557662931531403_hidden == False
27 | content_learn_more_6557662931531403_text == Your data for this SNP suggests that you produce relatively lower-than-average levels of glutathione, which may increase your vulnerability to the negative cognitive effects of oxidative stress. To find out what you can do to counteract this, see your personalized recommendations below.
27 | content_recommendation_2719718918204932_key == 2719718918204932
27 | content_recommendation_2719718918204932_blur == True
27 | content_recommendation_2719718918204932_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs10518065
rsStatus = rs10518065,UGT2A1,chr4,69654879,A,G,,,25,0,Normal
