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Difference undermethylated vs. overmethylated (symptoms)
According to Walsh Research Institute, nutritive support for treating underlying imbalances can be at least as effective for treating anxiety and depression as drugs (and without the side effects). As many as 85% with depression and 75% with anxiety in their massive database has reported significant improvement(1).
Many of the facts on this website https://VITAcure.me are based on the research of the non-profit organization Walsh Research Institute. For more information about the Walsh Approach, we encourage you to read the book “Nutrient Power” by the founder and President of the Walsh Research Institute, William J. Walsh, Ph.D., FACN.
Both for nutritive support and drugs, it is important to know about the underlying imbalance.
Here is a comparison of undermethylated vs. over-methylated people to give you an idea of in which category you are. If you have some/more of the undermethylation symptoms and none/few of the over-methylation symptoms you are most likely in the undermethylation group of people. We might update this post with more symptoms/corrections. Many of the “problems” we can learn to live with and get used to of course, so with age some problems might diminish.
Undermethylated people tend to have more obsessive-compulsive tendencies (OCD) and controlling behaviour(2), addictiveness, and can also be quite aggressive. Severe, unshakable delusions, brain fog, etc. are also typical for under-methylators.
Even more information about undermethylation symptoms can be found in our blog post “How do you know if you are undermethylated?”.
| Undermethylation | Overmethylation |
| Low pain threshold | High pain threshold (shock resistant) |
| Hot body temperature, profuse perspiration | Low body temperature (hand/feet), sparse perspiration |
| Mutations most likely to contribute to undermethylation are MTHFR (C677T especially, but also A1298C), MS, BHMT, MAT and SAHH | Mutations most likely to contribute to overmethylation are AGAT, GAMT, CBS and MT |
| Weak hair growth (men: beard/chest/arm), but little/no hairloss, difficulty building muscles, veins prominent | Strong hair growth (men: beard/chest/arm – hirsutism), thick hair, but receding hairline with men, easily builds muscles |
| High histamine, good response to antihistamines | Low histamine, antihistamine intolerance |
| No (few) food/chemical allergies, but seasonal inhalant allergies(2), air hunger, frequent colds, autoimmune diseases, urticaria/hives, frequent headaches, backaches, muscle cramps, chronic inflammations, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, nosebleed, car sickness, history of miscarriage, women: mostly male offspring, cancer, early aging | Several food/chemical allergies and absence of seasonal allergies(3), sleep disorder(3) |
| Oily skin, acne, more salivary flow/tears (high fluidity)(2) | Dry skin, eczema, dry mouth/eyes(3) |
| Strong teeth | Dental caries |
| Low Homocysteine | High Homocysteine |
| Gloomy/catatonic | Cheerful/grandiose |
| Introvert/shy/oversensitive (especially as teenager), OCD (obsessions+compulsions), addictiveness, trichotillomania, ritualistic behaviour | Extrovert, obsessions but not compulsions |
| Calm demeanor(2), controlled, blank mind | Outwards agitated/restless, stuttering, racing thoughts, hyperactivity(3) |
| Not showing emotions, silent | Can not hide emotions, think as they speech, pressure of speech, verbose, talkative |
| Chronic/severe depression (but denial), suicidal tendencies, generalized anxiety* (too little serotonin: anxiety and depression can be a result of both under-, and over-methylation, so look at other symptoms to determine status) | Periodic depression, self-mutilation, frenetic activity, restless legs/pacing(3), high anxiety(3); panic tendency(3) |
| Lack of empathy (100% of psychopaths are undermethylated) | Excellent socialization and very/over empathic(3) |
| Antisocial-Personality Disorder, loner, resisting attention, social isolation, Conduct Disorder | Social, enjoys attention from others, Episodic Rage Disorder |
| Very competitive (especially in sports/games)(2), very strong-willed; oppositional to authority(2), high accomplishment when not ill, self-motivated | Non-competitive in sports/academics(3) |
| Inner tension(2), phobias, not satisfied with own body (can lead to Anorexia), perfectionist, low self-esteem (but denial) | Content with own looks, grandiosity, thinks good of themselves, high self-esteem |
| Very high libido(2) (abnormal behavior/interest) | Lower/no libido(3) |
| Oppositional Defiant Disorder (especially as child/youth, but might continue) | Not as oppositional as child/youth, hyperactive |
| Not hitting notes (not musical), perhaps less musical interest* | Hitting notes very well (musical), very interested in music (broad) |
| Intrusive thought interfering with daily life, rumination about past events, can be schizoaffective | Religiosity, hallucinations, dysperceptions, perhaps voices/psychosis/evil spirits (100% of chronic schizophrenics are overmethylated) |
| Slow calculation, poor short time memory/concentration endurance, excels in science/business/right brain activity (also improves musical awareness*), creative | Quick calculation of simple mathematics, good short time memory |
| Denial (of symptoms/disease/illness), noncompliance (with therapies, treatment, medicine), dietary inflexibility, belief that someone is after them (also friends), conspirational theories | Paranoia, belief that everyone thinks ill of them, despair |
| Low serotonin/dopamine activity, good response to SSRI’s(2)* (and methionine/SAMe), adverse reaction to too much folic acid, low tolerance for alcohol | Elevated serotonin/dopamine activity, improvement after lithium, adverse reactions to antihistamines and SSRI’s(3)* (and methionine/SAMe) |
*Different responses to SSRIs: undermethylators have too little serotonin, and overmethylators have too much.
Walsh states that though SSRI’s may help (for undermethylators), side effects can be prohibitive, while nutritive support for underlying imbalances can be at least as effective(5).
If given to the wrong biotype SSRI’s can have fatal consequences (especially with young males). Please read this PDF: “A Proposal for Prevention of School Shootings” (by William J. Walsh).
The Incidence of Undermethylation (According to Walsh Research Institute’s research)(4):
- 98% of those on the Autism Spectrum clients at the Walsh Research Institute are undermethylated
- 95% of those with Antisocial Personality Disorder are undermethylated
- 90% of those with Schizoaffective Disorder are undermethylated
- 85% of those with Oppositional – Defiance are undermethylated
- 82% of those with Anorexia are undermethylated
- 38% of those with Depression are undermethylated
(Ref.: Walsh, William J. Nutrient Power. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2012)
References:
Symptoms are from:
Walsh Research Institute:
https://www.walshinstitute.org
and Books:
Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain
By William J. Walsh, PhD, FACN
Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder: A Compendium of Nutritional Approaches
By Eva Edelman (Author), Abram Hoffer (Foreword)
Numbered reference list:
1. https://www.walshinstitute.org/uploads/1/7/9/9/17997321/methylation_epigenetics_and_mental_health_by_william_walsh_phd.pdf [page 8]
2. https://www.walshinstitute.org/uploads/1/7/9/9/17997321/methylation_epigenetics_and_mental_health_by_william_walsh_phd.pdf [page 26]
3. https://www.walshinstitute.org/uploads/1/7/9/9/17997321/methylation_epigenetics_and_mental_health_by_william_walsh_phd.pdf [page 27]
4. https://www.walshinstitute.org/uploads/1/7/9/9/17997321/methylation_epigenetics_and_mental_health_by_william_walsh_phd.pdf [page 16]
5. Walsh, William J. Nutrient Power. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2012
(Please let us know if you are looking for a reference to a specific part, and we will add it to the list).
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