** Update to my methylation stack **So as it sits, I no longer need SAM-e. My body's methyl groups have clearly been adequately replenished from past SAM-e supplementation and have so for quite a while. I know this for a few reasons:
1) I got B12, folate, and B6 tested. B12 and folate have both come back high. Still waiting on B6, but will be surprised if this doesn't return a similar result. Thus SAM-e co-factors are fully satisfied.
2) Whenever I take SAM-e these days, I generally feel worse or feel like I just didn't need it. There was no significant change after taking the SAM-e, or if there is, I actually feel worst i.e., more anhedonia. This is easily fixed by taking my B complex, but just goes to show my body no longer needs the SAM-e as of right now. This was also recently tested after at least 4 days of taking a break from the SAM-e.
So currently my methylation stack is just limited to the following:
One to two times per day:--Eggs 2x
--Red meat 200-400g
--B complex (Nature's Own Ultra B 150 Forte)
--As my methyl groups have been severely depleted from POIS in the past, I will do occasional checks to see if I benefit from supplementing SAM-e. It's always possible the body's supply of methyl groups may fall behind over time from the POIS inflammation. I will check again in 2-4 weeks time.
My food sensitivities & POIS have maintained a permanent improvement in symptoms.
Animal-based continues to be the most trustworthy and reliable diet for me until I cure POIS, but I can confidently say methylation nutrients have permanently improved my food sensitivities and POIS overall. It just isn't at a level where I could eat non animal-based foods at every meal and expect to be at my best.
I have also been on my immune stack for over a week now. I believe that is also having a beneficial effect overall on reducing symptoms. I'm excited to see the potential fruit of this labour down the track.
I am also currently exploring trace minerals. The methylation cycle is complicated and works with hundreds of different minerals and nutrients far beyond the methylation big dawg's B12, folate, B6, etc... If you have certain trace minerals or nutrient deficiencies, it will not operate at its prime. Taken from Chris Masterjohn:
Many other nutrients are needed in the background to keep the methylation system operating smoothly. These include thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxal (vitamin B6), vitamin A, and a lot of the minerals: iron, phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and possibly cobalt. This protocol will operate most effectively when you are meeting your needs for all of your essential vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, as well as your needs for protein, carbohydrate, fat, and calories.
Doesn't take a genius to figure out that any sort of nutrient deficiencies will make POIS worse,
across the board. As a community, we should normalise getting comprehensive nutritional testing to be foundational. D3, zinc, magnesium, copper, and lots more, etc are all SO IMPORTANT for many functions of the body, especially those that play key roles in the immune system. We already know that POIS takes a big toll on the immune system.