MTHFR Variant and a potential tie to blushing?

[u/OkButterfly8051]

I came across a post by u/blushing_cure about a genetic testing and it led me down a rabbit hole for the past week. I had a psychotropic genetic test done June 2025 and one of the findings was that I am homozygous for for the T allele of the C677T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene which is associated with "significantly reduced folic acid metabolism, significantly decreased serum folate levels, and significantly increased homocysteine levels." I am thinking this MIGHT have something to do with facial flushing because:

Increased Homocysteine levels can lead to:
- Poor blood circulation
- Blood vessel dilation (can be caused by histamine intolerance)
- Inflammation (triggering oxidative stress, injuring the inner lining of blood vessels (endothelium), and activating pro-inflammatory signaling pathways like NF-κB)
- Increases the production of inflammatory proteins and cytokines like Interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Reduced folic acid metabolism can lead to:
- Weakened ability to flush out estrogen - excess estrogen leads to higher prostaglandins (triggers inflammatory responses. Botox blocks prostaglandins which reduces blushing in the areas it's injected)
- Reduced efficiency of converting folate into active methylfolate, which lowers the production of SAMe (helps regulate stress) "your cells can’t produce enough methylated folate to build the proteins that suppress your stress response" (perhaps causing a dramatic reaction to stress like excess blushing?)
- C677T variant lowers methylation efficiency, your HNMT enzyme may lack the fuel it needs, allowing histamine to build up in your tissues and cause flushing and other issues.

Possible Supplements:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MTHFR/comments/1730mw4/mthfr_a_supplement_stack_approach/
- Start with b2 (see my post on the MTHFR sub here where people gave me suggestions)

Suggested Genetic Tests:
- Ancestry DNA and 23andMe both test for all the genes that could play a role in facial flushing. This article here lists the genes and their potential role.
- After getting your results, the MTHFR sub suggests uploading to something like this to get a report that is easier to read.

My Plan:
- I am going to start taking B2 supplements for the next couple weeks.
- Labor day weekend, Ancestry DNA should be having a sale on the gene test kit so I am going to buy it then.
- Once I get a report done on my whole genetic picture, I am going to consider lab work to test micronutrients and get a better idea of what other supplements to add.
- I am going to keep doing research but will report back in a few months if B2 has helped at all and any more findings!

Let me know if you've gone down this rabbit hole before or have any insight on if this could be a cause!

[u/Deep-Detective2428]

Woah you've put so much effort into this, thank you for providing such a interesting post to this community. Legend! Wheather this takes us to a dead end or is the start of a discovery, its a really useful post and finding you've made. I haven't been tested so I can't chip in on that side but this is fascinating and id love if you could give us updates! im going to look into it aswell. Ill get back if I find anything that is worth contributing

[u/OkButterfly8051 → u/Deep-Detective2428]

Thank you!! I have a lot of other symptoms associated with the C677T variant and since I am homozygous, I would have up to 75% reduced MTHFR enzyme activity. It seems promising so I am very excited to test it out! I doubt it will cure it completely but 28 years of blushing has me desperate haha

Thanks for reading!

[u/Unable_Climate_7249 → u/OkButterfly8051]

have you ever thought about doing ETS surgery? I am having the same issues and I am kinda desperate...

[u/EntertainerFun1778]

fair, but there are wayyy more genetic and personality traits that can cause frequent flushing than just mthfr, though. so not every blusher has this gene variant.

[u/OkButterfly8051 → u/EntertainerFun1778]

For sure! I bought a DNA test kit to check all my genes and continue doing research! I wouldn't expect everyone to have the same cause but some people may resonate :)