47 | id == 47
47 | category_id == 12
47 | category_order == 9
47 | category_name == Cardiovascular
47 | category_color == #C47AC0
47 | slug == heart-methylation-cholesterol-PEMT
47 | title == The Link Between Methylation, Cholesterol, and Heart Disease (PEMT)
47 | meta_description == The PEMT gene is a hidden link between methylation, fat metabolism, and heart health. Check your variants here.
47 | summary == <p><strong>When it comes to heart health, homocysteine and cholesterol are major players, and PEMT impacts both of them. Read on to learn how&nbsp;your PEMT variants influence&nbsp;heart health&nbsp;and what you can do about it.</strong></p>
47 | overall_score_text == Heart Score (based on PEMT gene)
47 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/The-Link-Between-Methylation-Cholesterol-and-Heart-Disease-PEMT.jpg
47 | author_id == 9
47 | author_name == Aleksa Ristic
47 | author_title == MS (Pharmacy)
47 | author_order == 45
47 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Aleksa.jpg
47 | author_intro == <p><strong>Aleksa received his MS in Pharmacy from the University of Belgrade, his master thesis focusing on protein sources in plant-based diets.</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>    <p>Aleksa is passionate about herbal pharmacy, nutrition, and functional medicine. He found a way to merge his two biggest passions&mdash;writing and health&mdash;and use them for noble purposes. His mission is to bridge the gap between science and everyday life, helping readers improve their health and feel better.</p>
47 | reviewer_id == 1
47 | reviewer_name == Jasmine Foster
47 | reviewer_title == BSc, BEd
47 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
47 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
47 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
47 | publish_date == 2019
47 | publish_date == 9
47 | publish_date == 19
47 | avg_rating == 5.0
47 | tags_id == 152
47 | tags_name == Cholesterol
47 | tags_id == 131
47 | tags_name == Choline
47 | tags_id == 100
47 | tags_name == Folate
47 | tags_id == 136
47 | tags_name == HDL
47 | tags_id == 135
47 | tags_name == Heart Attack
47 | tags_id == 134
47 | tags_name == Heart Disease
47 | tags_id == 151
47 | tags_name == Homocysteine
47 | tags_id == 153
47 | tags_name == LDL
47 | tags_id == 37
47 | tags_name == Methylation
47 | tags_id == 130
47 | tags_name == PEMT Gene
47 | permissions_favorite == False
47 | permissions_rate == False
47 | content_article == <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">The PEMT Gene</span></h2> <p><a href="../../gene/pemt/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">PEMT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase) encodes an enzyme that makes </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-phosphatidylcholine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">phosphatidylcholine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (PC) through a methylation reaction [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/10400"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20933127"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3624053/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">PEMT makes sure you get enough </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-18-scientific-health-benefits-choline-cdp-choline-alpha-gpc/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">choline</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the absence of food sources. It&rsquo;s mainly expressed in the liver and accounts for 30% of liver PC production. Choline and PC are essential for [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10514439/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10514439/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782876/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fat transport and metabolism</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heart and brain health</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cell membranes and cellular communication&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">PEMT produces phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the liver via methylation. It supplies choline and PC in the absence of food sources, thus maintaining fat metabolism, heart and brain health, and cell structure.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">PEMT Variants and Heart Health</span></h2> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Homocysteine Levels</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study of Mexican women, the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele of one PEMT variant, </span><a href="../../snp/rs7946/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs7946</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, was associated with high </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/optimal-homocysteine-levels-increase-decrease/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">homocysteine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> levels during folate deficiency. The effect was significant only in women with the homozygous &lsquo;TT&rsquo; genotype [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2655101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another PEMT variant, </span><a href="../../snp/rs12325817/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs12325817</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, had a similar effect on healthy pregnant women. Carriers of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele who didn&rsquo;t get enough dietary folate or choline had 20% or 25% higher homocysteine levels, respectively [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31044529"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why High Homocysteine is Bad</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elevated homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) is a significant risk factor for heart disease. It also</span>&nbsp;correlates with:</p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/alzheimers-disease-prevention/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and dementia&nbsp; [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10746355"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11589919"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diabetes and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/top-tips-for-fixing-insulin-resistance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/8/1403.short"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27994434"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-depression/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Depression</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15585771"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24309856"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Autoimmune diseases [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28038798"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26690891"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17107384"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These variants have a bigger impact on women because <a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/estradiol/">estrogen</a> is the main stimulator of PEMT activity. Therefore, ladies should keep an especially close eye on this gene [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29992886">R</a>].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Two PEMT variants (rs7946-T and rs12325817-G) correlate with high homocysteine levels in cases of poor folate and choline intake. High homocysteine is associated with heart disease, Alzheimer&rsquo;s, diabetes, and depression.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cholesterol Levels</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In two trials with almost 500 participants, those with the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele at rs7946 had significantly lower levels of </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/hdl-cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HDL</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cholesterol [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17391797"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3488811/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">HDL or the "good cholesterol" removes fat deposits from your blood vessels and shields your heart. According to the famous Framingham study, an increase in HDL of 10 mg/L can drop the risk of heart disease by 2-3% [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5390423/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877920/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3504986/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To make things worse, carriers of this variant also had higher </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/ldl-cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LDL</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (the &ldquo;bad cholesterol&rdquo;) in one of the above trials [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17391797"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies observed these effects in people with obesity and fatty liver, so pay special attention to your PEMT variants if you have a metabolic disorder.</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Carriers of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele on rs7946 have significantly lower HDL levels and may, therefore, be vulnerable to heart disease. People with metabolic disorders are more prone to the negative effects of this variant.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other Significant Variants</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two comprehensive studies (over 85,000 participants each) have found different genetic variations associated with stroke and heart disease. Two of them, </span><a href="../../snp/rs12936587/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs12936587</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">-G and </span><a href="../../snp/rs12449964"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs12449964</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">-C, belong to the PEMT gene [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4112102/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3119261/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele on </span><a href="../../snp/rs12936587/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs12936587</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is associated with 7% higher rates of heart disease and 16% higher rates of stroke [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4112102/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How PEMT Impacts Homocysteine Methylation</span></h2> <p><img src="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Choline_metabolism-en.svg" alt="" /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Choline_metabolism-en.svg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Choline_metabolism-en.svg" alt="" width="656" height="549" /></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among its other crucial roles in your body, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/what-is-methylation-and-how-does-it-affect-our-health/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">methylation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is responsible for converting homocysteine to methionine. Two different pathways enable this: one using folate and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/vitamin-b12/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin B12</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and another using betaine (see the image above) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10448523"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When folate or vitamin B12 are restricted, your body focuses on the betaine pathway, which requires a steady supply of choline and betaine from food sources and PEMT activity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The above PEMT variants, rs12325817 and rs7946, reduce enzyme activity and impair choline production. Thus, PEMT can&rsquo;t compensate for low folate and choline intake. If you have reduced PEMT activity, it&rsquo;s essential to get enough of these nutrients [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1256033/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4062831/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1256033/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The body has another option for removing homocysteine: conversion to cysteine via the transsulfuration pathway (see image). This pathway depends on </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/vitamin-b6/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin B6</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">You need adequate folate and choline supplies to metabolize homocysteine. Specific PEMT variants may impair choline production, and that's when folate and choline deficiencies come to the fore.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why Lower PEMT Can Be Beneficial</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the same time, PEMT activity raises homocysteine levels. For each molecule of phosphatidylcholine produced, PEMT releases three molecules of homocysteine [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/10400"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the above study on pregnant women, those with the &lsquo;CC&rsquo; genotype at rs12325817 (more active PEMT) had higher homocysteine levels when choline and folate intakes were adequate [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31044529"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s also interesting that the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele on rs7946 (which lowers PEMT activity) is much more common than the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele among European descendants. As the choline intake of European ancestors increased, their bodies may have adapted by lowering PEMT activity and sparing methyl groups for other vital reactions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579630/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2970521/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430110/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">When your intake of choline and folate is sufficient, lower PEMT activity may prevent excessive homocysteine production and spare valuable methyl groups.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your PEMT Results for Heart Disease</span></h2> <p>*3308440760537949*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>Primary SNPs:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>PEMT </strong><a href="../../snp/rs7946/"><strong>rs7946</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Doesn't impact heart health</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Negatively impacts heart health</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Population Frequency:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>50% of European descendants</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have the (TT) genotype</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">4% of East-Asian descendants (China, Japan) have this genotype</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>PEMT </strong><a href="../../snp/rs12325817/"><strong>rs12325817</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Doesn't impact heart health</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Negatively impacts heart health</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Population Frequency:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Around </span><strong>23% of people from Europe</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have the GG genotype</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This genotype is almost non-existent among African and Asian descendants</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>Other important SNPs:</strong></p> <p><strong>PEMT </strong><a href="../../snp/rs12936587/"><strong>rs12936587</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Doesn't impact heart health</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Negatively impacts heart health</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>PEMT </strong><a href="../../snp/rs12449964"><strong>rs12449964</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Doesn't impact heart health</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Negatively impacts heart health</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last two SNPs are almost always inherited together:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Around 57% of the general population has the 'problematic' genotypes: GG and CC</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Around </span><strong>31% of European descendants</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have these genotypes</span></li> </ul> <p>*5629375256035505*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations to Improve Heart Health</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your doctor can help you find the best strategies for preventing or treating heart disease. Before trying the strategies below, discuss your intentions and your genetic data with a medical professional. This post is for informational purposes only.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*9004614266243052*</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As mentioned, lower PEMT activity won&rsquo;t increase homocysteine (might even reduce it!) in cases of adequate choline and folate intakes.&nbsp;</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Choline and Betaine</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adult men and women need 550 mg and 425 mg of </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-18-scientific-health-benefits-choline-cdp-choline-alpha-gpc/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">choline</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> per day. Low levels of choline may lead to homocysteine buildup and contribute to heart disease and stroke in some people, so it&rsquo;s crucial to get enough in your diet [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430728/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2424020/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4326479/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;The best food sources include [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23193625"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579689/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:&nbsp;</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beef liver: 356 mg per serving (3 oz)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eggs: 147 mg per serving (1 large egg)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chicken breast: 72 mg per serving (3 oz)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/quinoa/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quinoa</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">42.5 mg per serving (1 cup)</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The body can convert choline to betaine, which drives homocysteine methylation. Quinoa, liver meats, and chicken will also supply betaine; other good sources include [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12730414"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beets</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wheat germ</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spinach</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shrimp</span></li> </ul> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Folate</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The recommended daily </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/16-proven-benefits-vitamin-b9-folate-folic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">folate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> intake is 400 mcg for adults and 600 mcg for pregnant women. The best food sources include [</span><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114310/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10646010"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/nutrients/index"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chicken liver: 491 mcg per serving (3 oz)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beef liver: 215 mcg per serving (3 oz)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spinach, boiled: 131 mcg per serving (&frac12; cup)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asparagus, cooked: 89 mcg per serving (4 spears)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brussels sprouts, boiled: 78 mcg per serving (&frac12; cup)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Romaine lettuce: 64 mcg per serving (1 cup)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/avocado/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Avocado</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 59 mcg per serving (&frac12; cup)</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study of almost 2,000 men, those who consumed more folate had lower incidences of stroke and heart attack [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11390336"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Choline</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Different supplement forms of choline include:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-phosphatidylcholine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Phosphatidylcholine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (PC)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/top-18-scientific-health-benefits-choline-cdp-choline-alpha-gpc/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citicoline</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (CDP-choline)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/alpha-gpc/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alpha-GPC</span></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/lecithin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lecithin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They all supply choline, but each one has unique perks you may prefer. Check out our posts above to find out which one is best for you.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Folate</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements may help by providing more folate and enhancing homocysteine methylation, especially in pregnant women and those planning to conceive.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Folate from supplements has a better absorption compared with food sources; 200-300 mcg should meet the daily needs, but most supplements contain 400 mcg [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114310/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10646010"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People with certain </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/need-know-mthfr-genespolymorphisms-c677t-rs1801133/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTHFR</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants can&rsquo;t produce enough methylfolate, which is the active form. They may need to supplement with methylfolate. </span><a href="../search/MTHFR%20Gene"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Check your MTHFR activity on these posts</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2777484/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other supplements that may compensate for your lower PEMT activity include </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/vitamin-b12/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin B12</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/vitamin-b6/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin B6</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Along with folic acid, they enable homocysteine metabolism and were able to lower its levels in some clinical trials [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21273566/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9808973"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10353328"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-15-scientific-health-benefits-of-resveratrol-with-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Resveratrol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has mild estrogenic activity, which may stimulate PEMT in your liver. According to preliminary clinical research, this antioxidant can increase HDL, reduce LDL, and improve heart health [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4882663/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22648627/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017646/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Betaine supplementation increased LDL in one meta-analysis, so you may want to stick with food sources [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1140947/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep in mind that nutritional supplements don't pass rigorous quality controls and aren't approved by the FDA. So make sure to speak with your doctor before starting on any supplement regimen.&nbsp;</span></p>
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47 | content_learn_more_3308440760537949_text == Your PEMT variants are slightly associated with increased homocysteine and low HDL. If your levels are out of range, make sure to get enough choline and folate, and take other steps to improve your heart health. Keep reading for more details.
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