Bad Gene Mutation vs. Potential Superpower of MTHFR SNPs
You may wonder why MTHFR variants with such negative effects are so common in all
population groups. It seems like a variant that should have been weeded out with natural
selection. One thing I’ve noticed is that for common negative variants, there is almost always a
positive effect that balances it out. Let’s explore the potential positive benefits of MTHFR SNPs.
The big positive for MTHFR C677T is that it protects against several common types of
cancer. Folate is needed for cell growth, especially fast-dividing cancer cells, and the decrease
in folate with MTHFR variants can protect against growth in fast-growing tumors.
Studies finding protective effects against cancer:
The flip side: Folate can also help protect against cancerous mutations in the first place. A lack
of folate is linked to double-strand mutations in DNA replications. If those mutations occur in a
gene important to cancer prevention, then a tumor can occur.[ref] Thus, folate helps to prevent
the mutations that cause cancer, but yet in someone who has cancer, folate and methyl groups
can fuel cancer cell growth.
