While taking supplements can help promote methylation support, many healthcare professionals have become aware of the potential risks these can have on their patient’s overall health and wellness. Diet and lifestyle changes are safe and effective ways to promote methylation support without the side effects of supplementation. Doctors and functional medicine practitioners utilize diet and lifestyle changes alongside methylation nutrient supplements to improve methylation support, especially for people who do not tolerate methyl donors. Diet and lifestyle changes can also be utilized as a stand-alone treatment or with other interventions. Â Â
Table of Contents
Nutrition and Lifestyle Modifications for Methylation
 As demonstrated in the figure above, DNA methylation status and activity can be affected by a variety of factors, including genes, nutrient co-factors, nutrient substrates, dietary patterns, food-derived epigenetic modulators, drugs and/or medications, microbiome, toxins, stress/resilience, exercise, inflammation and/or oxidative stress as well as methyl donor depletion. Methylation support through diet and lifestyle changes have been demonstrated to improve DNA methylation status and activity. According to a 2014 systematic review and meta-analysis, food-sourced folate had a protective effect on breast cancer risk.  Moreover, the research study also demonstrated that increased food folate intake is associated with decreased risk of sex-hormone receptor-negative breast cancer in premenopausal women. No known side effects have been determined from food folate and methylation nutrients, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Furthermore, according to a 16-week placebo-controlled trial, an increase of 200 mcg/d in folate from folate-rich foods, folic acid supplements, and 5mTHF demonstrated no statistical significance between the groups in lowering homocysteine. Folic acid (FA) was more effective at raising plasma folates than 5mTHF, however, 5mTHF was more effective at raising RBC folates. Healthcare professionals should include food folate bioavailability for methylation support. Â
Several research studies have demonstrated potential risks for certain types of supplementation for methylation support, however, diet and lifestyle changes can help promote methylation support without experiencing the side effects of too many supplements. The purpose of the following article is to discuss how nutrition and lifestyle modifications can help promote methylation support. It’s fundamental to understand how nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, supplements, and medicines, can improve DNA methylation and well-being. – Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight
Smoothies and Juices for Methylation Support
While many healthcare professionals can recommend diet and lifestyle changes to improve methylation support, there are several options you can try yourself at home. As described above, methylation support supplementation should be determined by a healthcare professional. Smoothies and juices are a fast and easy way to include all the necessary nutrients you need for methylation support without any side-effects. The smoothies and juices below are part of the Methylation Diet Food Plan.
Sea Green Smoothie Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
- 1/2 cup cantaloupe, cubed
- 1/2 banana
- 1 handful of kale or spinach
- 1 handful of Swiss chard
- 1/4 avocado
- 2 teaspoons spirulina powder
- 1 cup of water
- 3 or more ice cubes
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth and enjoy!
Berry Bliss Smoothie Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
- 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, preferably wild)
- 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seed
- 1 tablespoons almonds
- Water (to desired consistency)
- Ice cubes (optional, may omit if using frozen blueberries)
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Best served immediately!
Sweet and Spicy Juice Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
- 1 cup honeydew melons
- 3 cups spinach, rinsed
- 3 cups Swiss chard, rinsed
- 1 bunch cilantro (leaves and stems), rinsed
- 1-inch knob of ginger, rinsed, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 knobs whole turmeric root (optional), rinsed, peeled and chopped
Juice all ingredients in a high-quality juicer. Best served immediately!
Ginger Greens Juice Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
- 1 cup pineapple cubes
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1-inch knob of ginger, rinsed, peeled and chopped
- 3 cups kale, rinsed and roughly chopped or ripped
- 5 cups Swiss chard, rinsed and roughly chopped or ripped
Juice all ingredients in a high-quality juicer. Best served immediately!
Zesty Beet Juice Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
- 1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced
- 1 apple, washed and sliced
- 1 whole beet, and leaves if you have them, washed and sliced
- 1-inch knob of ginger, rinsed, peeled and chopped
Juice all ingredients in a high-quality juicer. Best served immediately!
Protein Power Smoothie Serving: 1 Cook time: 5 minutes
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1/2 banana
- 1 kiwi, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of cardamom
- Non-dairy milk or water, enough to achieve desired consistency
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until completely smooth. Best served immediately!
ProLon® Fasting Mimicking Diet
Balanced methylation support can be achieved through proper nutrition. The ProLon® fasting mimicking diet offers a 5-day meal program which has been individually packed and labeled to serve the foods you need for the FMD in precise quantities and combinations. The meal program is made up of ready-to-eat or easy-to-prepare, plant-based foods, including bars, soups, snacks, supplements, a drink concentrate, and teas. The products are scientifically formulated and great tasting. Before starting the ProLon® fasting mimicking diet, 5-day meal program, please make sure to talk to a healthcare professional to find out if the FMD is right for you. The ProLon® fasting mimicking diet can help promote methylation support, among a variety of other healthy benefits.
Many doctors and functional medicine practitioners can recommend nutritional advice and/or guidelines to help improve DNA methylation. Proper diet and lifestyle changes can ultimately help improve DNA methylation. Nutrition and lifestyle modifications can ultimately help promote methylation support without side effects of supplements, according to research studies. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal and nervous health issues as well as functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900Â .
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topic Discussion:Â Acute Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most prevalent causes of disability and missed days at work worldwide. Back pain attributes to the second most common reason for doctor office visits, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Approximately 80 percent of the population will experience back pain at least once throughout their life. Your spine is a complex structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles, among other soft tissues. Injuries and/or aggravated conditions, such as herniated discs, can eventually lead to symptoms of back pain. Sports injuries or automobile accident injuries are often the most frequent cause of back pain, however, sometimes the simplest of movements can have painful results. Fortunately, alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can help ease back pain through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, ultimately improving pain relief.
Formulas for Methylation Support
XYMOGEN’s Exclusive Professional Formulas are available through select licensed health care professionals. The internet sale and discounting of XYMOGEN formulas are strictly prohibited.
Proudly, Dr. Alexander Jimenez makes XYMOGEN formulas available only to patients under our care.
Please call our office in order for us to assign a doctor consultation for immediate access.
If you are a patient of Injury Medical & Chiropractic Clinic, you may inquire about XYMOGEN by calling 915-850-0900.
For your convenience and review of the XYMOGEN products please review the following link.*XYMOGEN-Catalog-Download
* All the above XYMOGEN policies remain strictly in force.
Â
Post Disclaimer
Professional Scope of Practice *
The information herein on "Diet and Lifestyle Changes for Methylation" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
Blog Information & Scope Discussions
Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.
We are here to help you and your family.
Blessings
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182
Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card
Comments are closed.