SNP (genetics variations) and toxic burden

The Influence of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) on Environmental Toxin Burden and Health Risk

How Your Genes Affect How Your Body Handles Toxins

Everyone reacts differently to pollution and chemicals in the environment. A big reason for this difference is due to tiny variations in your DNA called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). These SNPs are like slight spelling differences in your genes that control how well your body can deal with toxins.

Three Main Ways SNPs Influence Toxin Susceptibility:

1. Detoxification Team: Genes create enzymes that act like your body’s cleanup crew, breaking down and getting rid of harmful substances (like chemicals and heavy metals). If SNPs make these enzymes less effective (e.g., in genes like CYP1B1 or GSTP1), toxins hang around longer, causing more damage to your DNA and increasing the risk of diseases like cancer.
2. Cellular Bouncers: Genes also make transporter proteins that act as “bouncers,” actively pumping toxins out of your cells. SNPs can make these bouncers less efficient, causing toxins to build up inside the cell and increase toxicity.
3. DNA Repair Crew: Environmental toxins can damage your DNA. Your genes produce repair proteins to fix this damage. SNPs in these repair genes (like XRCC1 or ERCC2) mean your body can’t fix the damage as well, leaving you more vulnerable to the toxin’s harmful effects.

Two Key Genes That Affect Detoxification:

The COMT and MTHFR genes are two major players because they are central to your body’s crucial detoxification and energy systems.

• COMT (Catechol-O-Methyltransferase)
  • What it Does (Simplified): some variations result in reduced enzyme activity, increasing catecholamine levels and oxidative stress. Some variants  have been linked to altered susceptibility to environmental toxins, particularly those generating oxidative stress or requiring methylation for detoxification.
  • The Problem (When there’s an SNP): A common SNP (Val158Met) slows down this enzyme.
  • Impact on Toxin Burden: Higher Stress & Toxin Load: It leads to more stress chemicals and potentially carcinogenic estrogens in the body. This increased background stress makes the damage from environmental toxins much worse.
• MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase)
  • What it Does (Simplified): The ‘Fuel’ for Detoxification. It creates a critical form of folate (5-methyl-THF) necessary for the entire methylation process, which is essential for getting rid of toxins.
  • The Problem (When there’s an SNP): Common SNPs (C677T and A1298C) slow down this enzyme.
  • Impact on Toxin Clearance: Impaired Toxin Clearance: It hinders the entire methylation cycle, slowing down the removal of many toxins. It also leads to higher levels of homocysteine (a heart risk factor) and compromises the protection of DNA, making the body more susceptible to toxin-related cancers.

The Bottom Line: Gene-Environment Interactions

It’s not just your genes or just the environment; it’s the combination. For example, someone with a slow COMT gene who is heavily exposed to pesticides may have a greater risk of problems than someone without that gene variant. Understanding these interactions is vital for:

• Personalized Medicine: Genetic testing can identify high-risk individuals, allowing providers to recommend targeted recommendations.
• Public Health: Policies need to acknowledge that some people are more vulnerable to environmental pollution than others to effectively protect everyone’s health.

Prevention

Schedule an appointment with our functional medicine providers for testing. We offer functional medicine workups that are comprehensive and involve gut testing as well, or functional nutrition focused workups that focus on genetics and nutritional status. You can schedule a free chat with our nurse for more information.

Clean Living Series
(Non toxic lifestyle)
4 week interactive series
Toxins in personal care products, household products, and everyday life effect our wellbeing, immune system, inflammation, hormonal health, and overall health. There are easy ways to reduce your exposure to toxins.

Learn more about supporting your general health and hormonal health with our clean living series. Explore everything from cleaning products, perfumes, daily care products, and even easy ways to cook. Read More

Educational use only.  Not to be misconstrued as medical advice.  Not to be used to diagnose or treat.