Are You Vitamin B Deficient? (Symptoms Checklist Included) | EP 395.C

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Dr. Gundry Podcast

Episode: Are You Vitamin B Deficient? (Symptoms Checklist Included) | EP 395.C
Date: March 20, 2026
Host: Dr. Steven Gundry

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Main Theme

In this episode, Dr. Gundry dives into the critical topic of Vitamin B deficiencies—specifically B12 and folic acid—and how common genetic mutations can prevent many people from properly absorbing and utilizing these nutrients. He discusses the symptoms associated with deficiencies, the pitfalls of standard supplements and “wasteful” B12 injections, and offers practical, cutting-edge advice for effective supplementation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding the Vitamin B Family

• Not Just One Vitamin:

  "Vitamin B isn't just one vitamin. It's an entire family of nutrients that your body relies on for nearly everything from energy production to brain function."
  (00:05–00:10, Dr. Gundry)

• B vitamins are essential for energy, mental clarity, and overall function.

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2. The MTHFR Genetic Mutation: “The Mother Eff-er Gene”

• Roughly <ins>50% of people</ins> carry a mutation in the MTHFR gene.
• This mutation impairs the body's ability to activate vitamin B12 and folic acid, regardless of how much is ingested.
• Dr. Gundry's “Mother Eff-er” Mnemonic:

  "If you say that out loud, we will bleep you from network television. And as I tell my patients, it's the mother effer gene. And that's how to remember."
  (01:14, Dr. Gundry)

Symptoms & Family History Clues

• Those with MTHFR mutations often have personal or family history of:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • ADHD
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Drug/alcohol abuse
  • Suicidal tendencies

  "...when we look at family trees, it's amazing how well this mutation correlates with those symptoms in my patients."
  (02:19, Dr. Gundry)

• Some highly successful individuals possess this mutation and may have harnessed their ADHD for greater focus.

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3. Absorption Pitfalls: Why Most Supplements & B12 Shots Fail

• Intrinsic Factor:
  Many people lack the gut receptor called intrinsic factor, necessary to absorb B12—even in its active, “methyl” form.
• Oral and even injectable B12 is often “a total waste of money” for those with MTHFR or lacking intrinsic factor.

  "You can take all the B vitamins in the world and you will not convert particularly vitamin B12 and folic acid into their active forms...you can keep swallowing them, but they're not going to do you any good."
  (01:18–01:30, Dr. Gundry)

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4. Practical Solutions: The Sublingual Advantage

• Sublingual Methyl B12 and Methylfolate:

  • Place under the tongue for direct absorption into the bloodstream, bypassing the flawed gut pathway.
  • Dr. Gundry recommends chewable/sublingual versions from various retailers (Costco, online sources).
  • Even chewables should be placed under the tongue for maximum effect.

• Memorable Patient Anecdote:

  "He says, yeah, I have it every day. I said, no, you don't. I said, and you're putting it under your tongue, right? He said, no, it's so sweet, I sweeten my coffee with it."
  (06:04, Dr. Gundry)
  This patient, after switching to sublingual use, normalized his B12 and homocysteine levels.

• Homocysteine as a Red Flag:
  If you’ve been told you have elevated homocysteine, you likely have the MTHFR mutation and should use sublingual forms.

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5. Special Considerations and Warnings

• Adverse Reaction to Active B12/Folate:

  • A small subset (especially those with double mutations) may feel worse (heightened anxiety or depression) when taking methyl B12/folate.
  • Solution: Temporarily take niacinamide (Vitamin B3), 250mg, to counteract effects, then reintroduce B12/folate slowly.

    "Even little bits of the active compounds methyl B12 and methylfolate worsen their anxiety and depression and it's a well recognized phenomenon."
    (08:49, Dr. Gundry)

• Not a Substitute for Mental Healthcare:

  • B vitamins may provide profound benefits, particularly for children with ADHD, but should not replace professional medical or mental health care.

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6. Practical Supplement Tips

• Women & B Vitamin Stomach Upset:

  • B vitamins frequently cause stomach upset, especially for women.
  • Sublingual forms mitigate this problem.
  • Biotin (B7) is well-tolerated, beneficial for skin, hair, and nails, and available in drop or capsule form.

• Universal Recommendation:

  • Methyl B12 and methylfolate are safe for everyone, not just those with MTHFR mutations.

  "The important thing is bees are not the miraculous thing you think they are. Because 50% of us can't utilize vitamin B12 and folic acid effectively because of this mother effort gene...they don't call them the energy vitamins for nothing."
  (12:31, Dr. Gundry)

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7. Listener Q&A and Reviews

• Q&A Segment (13:13):
  • Raw sweet potatoes: Most people can't digest raw starches well; gut bacteria turn them into gas/bloating. Better to cook, cool, and reheat for increased resistant starch.
• Listener Review Highlight (14:07):
  • Dr. Gundry expresses gratitude for engaged and thoughtful listeners, encourages sharing the podcast for collective health improvement.

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Notable Quotes

• "If you're a creative individual, if you come from a family with a history of anxiety and depression, there's pretty good odds that you carry one or more of these mutations." (04:28, Dr. Gundry)
• "Put it under your tongue. They have liquid drops. Those are great options." (11:20, Dr. Gundry)
• "Lastly, B vitamins in general—if I had one class of vitamins that bother women's stomachs the most, it's the B vitamins." (11:41, Dr. Gundry)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:05–00:22 — Introduction to Vitamin B and deficiency symptoms
• 01:12–05:00 — The MTHFR mutation, absorption barriers, family history clues
• 06:00–08:00 — Why sublingual B12 works, practical supplementation tips
• 08:43–10:00 — B12 shots vs. sublingual, rare adverse reactions, niacinamide role
• 11:41–12:45 — Gender-specific supplement challenges, general recommendations
• 13:13–13:55 — Listener Q&A: Raw sweet potatoes and digestion
• 14:07–14:55 — Listener reviews, Dr. Gundry’s gratitude, encouragement to share

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Final Takeaways

• Check for MTHFR Mutation: Especially if you or your family have a history of mood or attention disorders.
• Sublingual Supplements are Key: Especially for B12 and folic acid, regardless of your genetic status.
• Adjust if Needed: If side effects occur, try niacinamide as a buffer.
• Share the Knowledge: Dr. Gundry emphasizes community health and knowledge sharing.

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For personalized advice, discuss any supplement changes with your physician or mental health provider.

Transcript

[A]

Vitamin B isn't just one vitamin.

[B]

It's an entire family of nutrients that your body relies on for nearly everything from energy production to brain function. If you've been feeling sluggish, foggy or run down, your B levels might be telling you something. So stay tuned.

[C]

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[A]

There's a good chance that your oral multi B vitamin is a total waste of money. That's right, a total waste of money. And there's a hundred percent chance that your vitamin B12 shot is a total waste of money. That's right, a total waste of money. How can I be so sure about all this?

[B]

Well, first of all, if you're part

[A]

of the 50% of people who carry one or more of the mutations of the MTHFR gene, and if you say that out loud, we will bleep you from network television. And as I tell my patients, it's the mother effer gene. And that's how to remember. You can take all the B vitamins in the world and you will not convert particularly vitamin B12 and folic acid into their active forms because you lack enzymes that convert these B vitamins into their active methylated forms. So you can keep swallowing them, but they're not going to do you any good. Additionally, surprising number of people need a receptor in the lower part of their intestines called intrinsic factor that's necessary to absorb methyl B12 into your gut. And if you don't have intrinsic factor, and I'm always amazed how many people don't have intrinsic factor, you can swallow vitamin B12, you can even swallow the active form of vitamin B12, methylcobalamin, and you still won't have any B12 in your bloodstream. Now, how do you know if you have one of these mutations? Well, you can get a blood test, you can get a gene test to see if you carry one of these mutations. But here's an interesting easy way. There's strong evidence that people who carry one or more of these mutations have either a strong personal history or a strong family history of anxiety, depression, adhd, bipolar, schizophrenia, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and suicide tendencies. Now, there are other reasons for these conditions, but when we look at family trees, it's amazing how well this Mutation correlates with those symptoms in my patients. Interestingly, most successful people that I know and I take care of a large number of successful monetarily or otherwise successful individuals, all of them carry this mutation almost 100%. And that's because many successful people have attention deficit disorder that they recognize usually fairly early in life and used it as a powerful tool to focus their attention on something they were interested in and realize how easily they could be distracted from something they shouldn't be interested in and harness that power. So if you're a creative individual, if you come from a family of history of anxiety and depression, there's pretty good odds that you carry one or more of these mutations. Now, what do you do about it? Well, that's the good news. You can get methyl B12 and methylfolate as supplements. Now, here's the trick that's so interesting. I mentioned that many people don't have the ability to absorb even the right kind of methyl B12 because they lack intrinsic factor. But you can bypass that whole system by putting methyl B12 under your tongue. Sublingual. And many people sell sublingual methyl B12 tablets. Costco does. For example, there are many places online to get sublingual dots of methyl B12 and combined methylfolate. Now, some companies sell a chewable tablet, but I can tell you, after working with tens of thousands of patients, even if it's a chewable tablet, chew it up and put it under your tongue and let it absorb from there. I even have one patient that I continually laugh about who had these mutations. We had him go get the supplement at Costco, and I told him to put it under his tongue. And we looked at his B12 level and his homocysteine level the next time he came in, and it was low, and his homocysteine level was high. And I said, you're not taking your B12. He says, yeah, I have it every day. I said, no, you don't. I said, and you're putting it under your tongue, right? He said, no, it's so sweet, I sweeten my coffee with it. And I said, oh, for crying it all up. So I said, you know, go away, come back, put it under your tongue next time. Of course he puts it under his tongue. Is B12 levels normal? His homocysteine level is normal. And which reminds me, if you've been told you have an elevated homocysteine level, and a lot of doctors will measure homocysteine on a blood test, if you've been told you have an elevated homocysteine level. The odds are you carry the mthfr, the mother effer mutation and you absolutely should get on sublingual methyl B12 and methylfolate. Now methylfolate you can get as a capsule or as a chewable tablet. Either way works fine. But. But methyl B12 has to go under your tongue.

[B]

This episode of the Dr. Gundry podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? I mean, shifting a little money here, a little there and hoping it all works out well? With the name your price tool from Progressive you can be a better budgeter and potentially lower your insurance bill too. You tell Progressive what you want to pay for car insurance and they'll find you options within your budget. Come on, try it [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance companies and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state

[A]

law and it's not available in all states. I mentioned B12 shots are a waste of money because the people that I see in my practice who are getting the B12 shots are the people who are getting them because they didn't know that they had the mutation and they could take all the B12 in the world and it wouldn't do them any good. But when we switch them off of their B12 shots and put them on methyl B12 sublingual, lo and behold, they never look back. Their B12 levels are normal, their energy levels are normal and they're off to the races. Now a proviso. There are a few individuals, particularly with the double mutations of the MTHFR genes, who even little bits of the active compounds methyl B12 and methylfolate worsens their anxiety and depression and it's a well recognized phenomenon. I've seen it a few times in my patients. If you're one of those people and you'll know it, the trick I and others use is to have you take a B vitamin, vitamin B3, which is called niacinamide and niacinamide, even 250 milligrams usually blocks this odd effect. So if you're one of those odd individuals, I don't mean odd, who react to the active forms of B12 and folic acid, then buy some niacinamides dirt cheap, take it for a couple of weeks and then re add small doses of methyl B12 and methylfolate and that usually stops the problem. Now these vitamins are not a substitute for good mental health care, but they are remarkable in many people, including some children who've had real ADHD disability In school. Getting small amounts of methylfolate and methyl B12 into them has made a remarkable difference in my practice. But check with your family physician, check with a mental health care practitioner. Get yourself some of the chewable tablets, put it under your tongue. They have liquid drops. Those are great options. Lastly, B vitamins in general. If I had one class of vitamins that bother women's stomachs the most, it's the B vitamins. And many women just to a person say B vitamins really upset my stomach. That's why you're much better off Getting a methyl B12 and methylfolate available as a chewable tablet and putting it under your tongue and you'll eliminate that possibility. There are plenty of other B vitamins that won't bother your stomach. Vitamin B7, biotin, which helps skin, hair and nails, won't bother the stomach. You can get it in drop form, you can get it in capsule form. So there's ways around all of this. But the important thing is bees are not the miraculous thing you think they are. Because 50% of us can't utilize vitamin B12 and folic acid effectively because of this mother effort gene. And even if you don't have the mother effort gene, Quite frankly, methyl B12 and methylfolate will not hurt you. And they don't call them the energy vitamins for nothing.

[B]

Now it's time for the Question of the week comes from PaulHart3812 over on YouTube. On my episode about if potatoes are healthy, they asked what about eating raw purple sweet potatoes? Well, you can certainly do that. But here's the deal. We have a horrible ability of breaking down raw starches.

[A]

That's a good news and bad news.

[B]

Those raw starches will be eaten by gut bacteria. That's the good news. The bad news is that so many people react with gas and bloating to the bacteria eating those raw starches. If you're one of those people, probably best to stay away from raw sweet potatoes. If you're not one of those people, certainly consider adding them to your diet. Better way is cook them, cool them and then reheat them. And that will increase the resistance to starch content. Now it's time for the review of the week. A review from 8th JRB over on YouTube. On my episode about organ meats they said you are more knowledgeable by a country mile than most YouTubers. Though they are well intentioned. You really do the work and see things from all angles and without bias. I do my homework and your channel is one I trust to give me good information. Many thanks for your wisdom and all your efforts. You. You are a truly gifted educator. Well, thank you. You know, this is a gift of knowledge that I'm giving you based on my patients giving me knowledge of over 30 years. Why don't you gift this knowledge to your friends and family? It just takes a second to text or email a link to this channel and subscribe to the channel. That black oval button on the left that says subscribe when you're there so you don't miss an episode. I mean, after all, it's free. And gift it to your friends and family. They'll appreciate it as much as you do. And thanks for writing in.

[C]

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[E]

I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Dr. Gundry podcast. If you did, please share this with family and friends. You never know how one of these health tips can can completely transform someone's life when you take the time to share it with them. There's also the Dr. Gundry Podcast YouTube channel where we have tens of thousands of free health insights that can help you and your loved ones live a long, vital life. Let's do this together.

[C]

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[F]

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