Food, by pathway

Foods that help you — and the ones that don't.

No perfect diet here. Just the foods that make each of these genes' jobs easier, and the ones that tend to make them harder. Pick one list to work on at a time.

Methylation & folate (MTHFR, MTR, MTRR)

MTHFR · MTR · MTRR · BHMT · CBS

These genes use B-vitamins from food. When they run slow, real folate from plants goes further than the synthetic kind in cheap cereals.

Eat more of

  • ✓Dark leafy greens — spinach, romaine, arugula, collards
  • ✓Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, avocado
  • ✓Lentils, chickpeas, black beans
  • ✓Pastured eggs and liver (real B12 and choline)
  • ✓Beets and sunflower seeds (betaine, for the BHMT route)

Go easy on

  • ×Heavily fortified cereals and energy bars with folic acid
  • ×White bread and pastries that crowd out real greens
  • ×Alcohol — it directly burns through folate
  • ×Skipping protein at breakfast

Mood chemistry (COMT, MAOA)

COMT · MAOA · MAOB

These clear dopamine and adrenaline. Slow clearers feel stimulants — coffee, green tea extract, big doses of methyl donors — much more strongly.

Eat more of

  • ✓Protein at every meal to keep blood sugar steady
  • ✓Magnesium foods — pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate (small), almonds
  • ✓Slow carbs: oats, sweet potato, quinoa
  • ✓Herbal tea in the afternoon instead of coffee

Go easy on

  • ×More than one coffee, and none after noon
  • ×Energy drinks and pre-workout powders
  • ×Green tea extract pills (not the tea, the concentrated pills)
  • ×Sugar crashes — they hit slow COMT people hard

Histamine & DAO

AOC1 (DAO) · MAOB

DAO is the enzyme that breaks down histamine in food. Lower DAO means leftovers, aged foods and wine can cause flushing, headaches or itching.

Eat more of

  • ✓Freshly cooked meat and fish (frozen right after cooking, not left in the fridge)
  • ✓Fresh vegetables — zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, greens
  • ✓Apples, pears, blueberries, mango
  • ✓Rice, oats, quinoa
  • ✓Olive oil, coconut, fresh herbs

Go easy on

  • ×Aged cheese, cured meats, salami
  • ×Wine, beer, champagne, kombucha
  • ×Leftovers older than a day
  • ×Fermented foods — sauerkraut, kimchi, soy sauce, vinegar
  • ×Tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, avocado (high histamine for some)
  • ×Canned fish and smoked salmon

Detox & antioxidants

GSTP1 · SOD2 · NQO1 · CYP1A2 · CYP1B1

Your liver builds its clean-up chemicals from sulfur-rich vegetables and colorful plants.

Eat more of

  • ✓Broccoli sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale
  • ✓Garlic, onions, leeks
  • ✓Berries, pomegranate, colorful peppers
  • ✓Green tea (the drink), turmeric with black pepper
  • ✓Plenty of water and enough fiber to actually carry it out

Go easy on

  • ×Charred and grilled meat (the black parts)
  • ×Alcohol, especially daily
  • ×Deep-fried and reheated seed oils
  • ×Processed meats with nitrates

Hormone processing (estrogen)

CYP1B1 · COMT

Estrogen leaves the body through the liver and gut. Fiber and cruciferous vegetables help it finish the trip.

Eat more of

  • ✓Cruciferous vegetables most days
  • ✓Ground flaxseed, chia
  • ✓Beans and lentils for fiber
  • ✓Fresh berries and citrus

Go easy on

  • ×Alcohol — it raises estrogen and slows clearing
  • ×Very low-fiber weeks (things recirculate)
  • ×Ultra-processed food with lots of additives

Heart, cholesterol & blood sugar

APOE · NOS3 · FTO · TCF7L2 · PPARG

These genes shape how you handle fat and sugar. APOE4 carriers in particular tend to do better on lighter saturated fat.

Eat more of

  • ✓Olive oil, avocado, nuts
  • ✓Fatty fish twice a week — salmon, sardines
  • ✓Beans, oats, barley (soluble fiber)
  • ✓Beets and leafy greens for blood-vessel support
  • ✓Protein and fiber before the carbs at a meal

Go easy on

  • ×Butter, cream and coconut oil in large daily amounts
  • ×Sugary drinks and juice
  • ×White flour snacks eaten alone
  • ×Late-night eating

Nutrient needs (vitamin D, B12, iron, omega-3)

VDR · FUT2 · HFE · FADS1

Some bodies absorb or convert these differently, so the food form matters more than the total number.

Eat more of

  • ✓Salmon, sardines, egg yolks (vitamin D and omega-3 together)
  • ✓Animal foods or supplemented B12 if FUT2 absorption is lower
  • ✓Vitamin C foods with plant iron
  • ✓Pre-made EPA/DHA sources if FADS1 conversion is slow

Go easy on

  • ×Iron-fortified everything if you carry HFE variants — test first
  • ×Tea and coffee right at mealtime if iron is low
  • ×Relying on flax alone for omega-3

Start with one change

Nobody rebuilds their whole kitchen in a week. Pick the list that matches what bothers you most, work on it for a month, then look again.

See my supplement list