Supports the methylation pathway and serotonin levels.
Many clinicians are now utilizing higher doses of Trimethylglycine (TMG). For individuals whose doctors recommend these higher dosages, Kirkman® offers a 500 mg TMG capsule with Folinic Acid and Methyl B-12 that will minimize the number of capsules needed to meet the physicians’ recommended intake. This is a hypoallergenic formulation, specially designed for individuals with special requirements and sensitivities.
Folic acid intake and levels in the body must be adequate for TMG to work biochemically. To be active in the body, folic acid needs to be reduced twice by folate reductase enzymes, is then converted to tetrahydrofolate, after which a methyl group is added to the tetrahydrofolate. In some individuals, the use of natural folinic acid may be more beneficial than folic acid, because folinic acid already has attached four hydrogen atoms and one methyl group, thereby shortcutting the complicated biochemical processes that assist purine and nucleotide synthesis, which are so important in cell perception and response. For that reason, some doctors are recommending TMG with folinic acid instead of the folic acid form of folate.
Because folic acid can sometimes mask a vitamin B-12 deficiency, vitamin B-12 has also been included in this formulation. Furthermore, it is known that vitamin B-12 works synergistically with folic acid. The most active form of vitamin B-12 in folate chemistry is methylcobalamin, and Kirkman® utilizes this form of vitamin B-12 in this product, which may assist methionine metabolism, methylation and folate chemistry.
Kirkman’s trimethylglycine (TMG) is derived from beets, which is the commercially available source. TMG is dimethylglycine (DMG) with one more methyl group. The chemical structure of TMG is a glycine molecule holding onto three methyl groups. Like DMG, TMG is considered a “methyl donor” or “methyl bank.” The additional methyl group makes TMG a more active methyl donor than DMG, which provides a benefit to some individuals. TMG can support the formation of methionine by methylating homocysteine. Some of this methionine eventually is converted into SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine), which can help maintain healthy serotonin levels in the body, thus supporting mood and a feeling of well-being.
As with DMG, TMG plus a coenzyme of riboflavin supplies methyl groups that attach to folic acid to form methylenetetrahydrofolate, an important component of many biochemical processes in the body including cellular perception and response.
