When we talk about methylation, we’re talking organic chemistry. It’s a natural chemical process whereby a tiny group of atoms (one carbon and three hydrogen atoms—aka, a “methyl group”) is passed from one molecule to another. This tiny hand-off is actually a big deal. It helps regulate gene expression, that is, it helps determines which genes get turned on or off. That, in turn, determines which proteins your body makes and when – and proteins, remember, are the workhorses of the body, responsible for practically everything that happens inside us. Think of it like oiling the gears of a machine—without methylation, the body’s gears start to jam up.