Page 43 - Spring2013

ity in emotional centers of the brain. These people are also much more selection would have weeded the “bad” one out
11
likely to invest energy into cognitive activity when they are exposed to long ago.
these emotionally stimulating pictures, and the more energy they invest in The question before us, then, is this: regard-
cognitive activity the less likely they are to become noticeably disturbed. 11 less of genetics, what kind of nutritional approach
This suggests that low methylation contributes to excessive mental stability. can we use to provide our brains with the raw
The unpleasant image gets “stuck” in the person’s mind instead of passing materials they need to maintain the right amount
through uneventfully, and the person must invest a lot more mental energy of methylation to support the appropriate bal-
to break free of the image’s grasp. ance of mental stability and flexibility needed
Since being held captive by our own thoughts is a central problem in for optimal mental health?
mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, some researchers have
suggested that those who methylate dopamine at a low rate are “worriers,” MEAT, ORGANS, BONES, AND SKIN
while those who methylate dopamine at a high rate are “warriors.” While As shown in Figure 5 and discussed in more
the distinction has some merit, making low methylation the “bad” trait detail in the Fall 2012 issue of Wise Traditions,
14
and high methylation the “good” trait is too simplistic. the most basic nutrient we need for the process
Between the “worrier” and the person who indiscriminately engages of methylation is the amino acid methionine. The
in every battle, there lies the cautious person who picks and chooses her “meth-” in the word “methionine” refers to this
battles. Moreover, genetic studies show that while those who methylate process. Animal proteins are about twice as rich
dopamine at a low rate have more difficulty with emotional processing, in methionine as plant proteins as a proportion
those who methylate dopamine at a high rate have more difficulty with of total protein. Plant foods, moreover, tend to
cognitive processing. Psychoses, such as those seen in schizophrenics or contain much less protein than meats. People
12
10
those suffering from severe vitamin B deficiency, can manifest in some who exclude all animal products from their diets
13
12
people with symptoms of excessive mental stability and in other people thus likely consume three to five times less me-
with symptoms of excessive mental flexibility. Examples include “rigidity thionine than those who eat a diet rich in animal
of thoughts” on the one hand, and “flight of ideas” on the other. Perhaps the products, leading to a dramatic decrease in the
clearest indication that balance is best is that those with genetically high or raw materials needed for methylation.
low rates of methylating dopamine constitute roughly equal proportions of As also shown in Figure 5, consuming less
the population, and the majority of us have the genetics for an intermediate methionine should generate less homocysteine.
rate. If one trait were the “bad” one and the other the “good” one, natural Paradoxically, however, compared to omnivores,

FIGURE 5: The figure shows methionine metabolism at low (A) and high (B) concentrations of methionine. The pathways are
simplified, and were explained in more detail in the Fall 2012 journal. Briefly, to support sufficient methylation of dopamine
we need adequate methionine. After each methylation reaction, however, methionine generates homocysteine. Recycling
homocysteine back to methioinine is important both to prevent cardiovascular disease and to support the methylation
process. This requires vitamin B and folate. At high concentrations of methionine, for example, in the hours after we eat a
12
protein-rich meal, glycine acts as a buffer to prevent excess methylation and also supports the conversion of homocysteine
to glutathione. Glutathione is the master antioxidant and detoxifier of the cell, and a key regulator of protein function. Ad-
equate glutathione protects against degenerative diseases of all kinds.
Wise Traditions SPRING 2013 SPRING 2013 Wise Traditions 43