09/30/2025
This is one of the most thorough explanations of how acetaminophen works and what it can contribute to in our bodies.
Because our office sees many babies with lip and tongue ties, having this information is essential!
Tylenol, Glutathione, Genes, and Folate Forms
Many parents assume Tylenol (acetaminophen) is harmless during pregnancy or given to infants, especially around vaccinations. But research is showing that Tylenol can deplete or interfere with glutathione, a crucial antioxidant in the body. Glutathione helps neutralize toxins, protect cells from damage, and maintain healthy brain and immune function. For a developing baby (in utero or just after birth), the systems that produce glutathione are still immature, making them more vulnerable to anything that stresses or lowers glutathione levels.
When the liver processes Tylenol, most of it goes through safe detox routes (like sulfation or glucuronidation). But a portion is metabolized by liver enzymes — including one encoded by CYP2E1 — into a harmful byproduct called NAPQI. Under normal conditions, glutathione neutralizes NAPQI so it doesn’t cause damage. But if glutathione is low, due to genetic predisposition or other factors, NAPQI can accumulate and cause oxidative stress or liver/brain cell damage.
Genetic differences matter a lot here. For example, MTHFR mutations reduce the efficiency of folate metabolism, which is needed to supply methyl groups and support glutathione production. GST (Glutathione S-Transferase) genes are needed to attach glutathione to toxins so they can be eliminated. If you have variants that reduce GST activity, detox pathways work less well. And CYP2E1 variants may increase the amount of toxic NAPQI made per dose of Tylenol, raising the burden on glutathione.
Now, folate (a B vitamin) plays into this whole system. Most folic acid in supplements and fortified foods is synthetic, and needs to be converted in the body (via enzymes like MTHFR) into its active, usable forms (one of which is 5-MTHF). People with MTHFR mutations often don’t convert synthetic folic acid well, which means unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) builds up. UMFA may block folate receptors or interfere with folate activity, disturb methylation, or contribute to oxidative stress. So even though folic acid supplementation has been protective in many studies, synthetic folic acid in large amounts, especially combined with genetic risk, may have drawbacks.
Because of that, “active” folate forms like folinic acid (also known as leucovorin) are now being used or studied as treatments in autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. Clinical trials have shown that adding folinic acid can improve language, communication, and behavior in children with autism — especially in those with autoantibodies against folate receptors or with genetically reduced folate metabolism. It helps because it bypasses some of the “conversion steps” that synthetic folic acid requires.
Putting all this together: the idea is that Tylenol use during pregnancy or early infancy may stress or deplete glutathione; genetics (MTHFR, GST, CYP2E1) may reduce how well glutathione is made, used, or how much toxin load one must handle; and poor handling of synthetic folic acid (or high amounts leading to UMFA) may make methylation and folate availability weaker. In contrast, using folinic acid or active folate may help “shore up” the system, helping with glutathione production, methylation, and reducing risk for oxidative damage.
This doesn’t show a definitive proof that Tylenol causes autism, but it offers a plausible biological mechanism, especially in people who carry certain genetic variants. It suggests that parents and doctors might want to think carefully about Tylenol use during pregnancy or early infancy, test for or consider genetic risk, and support detox and methylation pathways where needed.
➡️ And if you’d like to know more about your own or your child’s genetic makeup, MaxGen Labs offers testing that includes many of these genes (MTHFR, GST, CYP2E1, and others involved in detox and methylation). It can give you a clearer picture of how medications and vaccines may affect your child uniquely, and what nutrients may help support their system. You can learn more at MaxGen Labs (https://maxgenlabs.com)
— and use my affiliate code SARAH10 for a discount.
BTW - I have all kinds of medical freedom / health related studies and content in my PTF community classroom at https://www.skool.com/pathtofreedom, and I fully realize that the ingredients/components in v's contribute just as much (if not more) to the symptoms that make up the label of 'autism'. There should have been a lot more emphasis on that yesterday.
Also, tomorrow (Wednesday) we have our weekly 'medical freedom' discussion via zoom from 3-5pm EST. PM me if you'd like the registration link! We can talk about this more!
References:
Efficacy of oral folinic acid supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39243316/
Unmetabolized Folic Acid: Relationship to Supplementation, Intake, and Plasma/Red-Cell Folate Concentration
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317000/
Unmetabolized Folic Acid in Plasma Is Associated with Impaired Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622080324
Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Folinic Acid in Children with ASD
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/9/1602
Molecular Mechanisms of Unmetabolized Folic Acid and Effects on One-Carbon Metabolism
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10381082/
Folic Acid and Autism: A Systematic Review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8394938/
Treatment of Folate Metabolism Abnormalities in Autism
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071909120300462
Thank you Sarah Peterson for this info 💪🏽😘
