Inside every cell of your body, millions of biochemical reactions are happening every second.

And one of the most important — and least understood by most people — is a process called methylation.

It’s not something we always feel directly if it’s happening properly. But it quietly governs almost every aspect of health, from energy creation to hormones, mood, cortisol levels, detoxification, DNA repair and even how efficiently we burn or store fat.

And if it’s not functioning properly, then we do feel it, often not knowing what it is.

When methylation runs smoothly, we feel alert, resilient, and focused.

When it falters, everything from mood to metabolism can begin to break down.

So understanding exactly what this system is and how it works — and supporting it properly — is very important.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Methylation?

Methylation is a simple chemical process with massive consequences. It involves adding a small molecule called a methyl group or tag — one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms — to another molecule in the body.

That tiny methyl tag acts like a biological “switch.”

When our cells attach a methyl group to DNA, enzymes (biochemicals that cause all the reactions and actions in our body), hormones, or toxins, it can activate or deactivate them.

Methylation determines which genes are turned on or off, how neurotransmitters are balanced, and how efficiently our body clears toxins.

Over 200 vital biochemical processes depend on methylation. It’s how our body regulates everything from stress responses to cardiovascular function and cellular repair.

It even helps clear adrenaline and cortisol out of the system, which when not done can lead to trouble relaxing or sleeping or cause stress levels to stay high unnecessarily.

But methyl groups aren’t just there, ready and waiting to be used. Our cells rely on a constant supply of methyl groups to keep these reactions running.

Where Methyls Come From

The body makes methyl groups through a complex series of enzyme reactions called the methylation cycle.

At the center of this cycle are a few key nutrients:

• Methionine – an essential amino acid that donates methyl groups.
• SAMe (S-Adenosyl Methionine) – the activated form of methionine and your body’s direct methyl donor. This is what methionine turns into in the body.
• TMG (Trimethylglycine) – a nutrient that carries three methyl groups and helps regenerate used methionine.
• Methyl-B12, methyl-folate, and zinc – cofactors that help transfer and recycle methyl groups.

So methionine becomes SAMe and donates a methyl group at which point it’s converted to something called homocysteine, another amino acid.

Then, with help from TMG, methyl-folate, and methyl-B12, that homocysteine is recycled back into methionine so the methylation process can continue.

If it wasn’t converted back, then homocysteine levels would rise, harming blood vessels, cognitive systems, the liver, kidneys and more.

When this loop is intact, methylation hums along effortlessly. But when it breaks down, the entire system starts to stall affecting mood, cardiovascular, energy levels, ability to sleep, detox and much more.

What Happens When Methylation Slows Down

Modern life works against methylation. Genetics, stress, alcohol, poor diet, toxins, and nutrient deficiencies all reduce your body’s ability to make or recycle methyl groups. In fact, more than half of adults show signs of low methylation and it increases with age.

When methylation slows, the body literally loses the ability to regulate itself.

Common consequences include:

• Fatigue and low energy – less ATP production and impaired mitochondrial function.
• Brain fog, anxiety, and mood swings – due to poor regulation of dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline.
• Toxin buildup and inflammatory responses – because methylation “tags” toxins for liver clearance and when methyls are not there to do so these toxins can remain un-tagged and stay in the blood stream.
• Hormone imbalance – particularly cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormones.
• Elevated homocysteine and cardiovascular stress.
• Slower fat metabolism and a greater tendency to store fat under stress.
• Accelerated aging from poor DNA repair and shorter telomeres.

Methylation, Stress Hormones, and Fat Metabolism

The body’s stress response is governed by two major hormones—adrenaline and cortisol. Both are essential for survival but harmful when they stay elevated for too long.

When we face a stressful situation, our body releases adrenaline to trigger a “fight or flight” response. In a healthy system, once the threat passes, methylation inactivates that adrenaline by attaching a methyl group to it — turning it off.

But if we’re not methylating enough, that doesn’t happen efficiently. This can cause feelings of anxiety, being wired, or restless to stay long after the stress has passed.

Over time, this constant stimulation drives cortisol higher, disrupts sleep, breaks down muscle tissue, keeps our stress levels higher and pushes the body into fat-storing mode.

High cortisol levels suppress testosterone and growth hormone while increasing insulin resistance and estrogen levels — all of which slow fat burning and promote central fat gain.

Methylation helps to keep these hormones balanced, ensuring the stress response turns off when it should, metabolism stays active, and the body can shift back into repair and fat-loss mode.

How SAM-e and TMG Work Together

SAMe: The Master Methyl Donor

SAMe (S-Adenosyl Methionine) is the body’s primary methyl donor — the molecule that directly transfers methyl groups to over 200 critical reactions.

Every time the body builds neurotransmitters, detoxifies a toxin, repairs DNA, or synthesizes hormones, SAMe is involved.

When SAMe donates a methyl group, it helps your body:

• Deactivate excess adrenaline and cortisol for calm, balanced energy
• Produce dopamine and serotonin for mental clarity and a positive mood
• Build and maintain healthy joint cartilage
• Support liver detoxification and cellular renewal
• Regulate genetic expression and protect DNA integrity

Low SAMe levels are linked to poor mood, feelings of anxiousness, continued stress, poor liver function, fatigue and much more.

Supplementing with SAMe directly restores the supply of methyl groups needed to keep these processes running smoothly.

TMG: The Methyl Recycler

TMG (Trimethylglycine), or betaine, is a compound that carries three methyl groups. Its role is to regenerate methionine from homocysteine so the methylation cycle can keep turning.

By donating these methyl groups, TMG:

• Helps lowers homocysteine and supports cardiovascular health
• Recycles methionine to sustain SAMe production
• Enhances liver function and fat metabolism
• Improves cellular energy and mental focus

In essence, SAMe provides the immediate methyl groups the body uses, while TMG ensures the system doesn't run dry by recycling them.

And together they maintain a constant flow of methylation activity that keeps every organ running at full capacity.

BodyHealth's SAMe and TMG, along with Multi Complete with methylated B Vitamins, were made specifically to address the full cycle of methylation at optimal levels.

You can get them individually or as part of the full Methylation Support package.

I hope this helps.