The Dr. Josh Axe Show - 10 Signs You Have a B Vitamins Deficiency (How to Boost B Vitamins Naturally)

Starting point is 00:00:00 If you've been doing everything right, eating clean, exercising, but somehow you're still not feeling your best, your energy's dragging, your memory is slipping and it's frustrating because you know there's more to your potential. Well, what if the issue isn't just in your routine, but it's deep down inside your cells? You know, you're investing in the best supplements, working out regularly and sticking to a clean diet. but if your cells are stuck in what's called cell danger response, all the hard work might not be paying off as it should. Think of your cells like a house under renovation. You can bring in the highest quality materials like the best supplements in clean foods, but if the workers inside the house or are on lockdown because of a storm, nothing gets done. The materials just pile up unused. That's what happens when your cells are in CDR. They can't fully use the good stuff you're giving them. Getting out of CDR, the cell danger response, is the key to unlocking your body's full potential.

Starting point is 00:01:05 When your cells are no longer in protective mode, they can finally use the nutrients, hormones, and energy you're working so hard to provide. That's when everything starts to click. Your energy improves, your workouts become more efficient, and you start to feel like yourself again. Go to beyondbloodwork.com to learn how to break free from cell danger response and make the effort pay off. Hey everyone, welcome the Dr. Josh Axe show. I am your host, Dr. Axe. And each and every week on the show, we dive deep into the science and principles behind how to heal and grow in body, mind, and spirit.

Starting point is 00:01:45 On today's episode, I'm going to be discussing B vitamins. This is an essential group that numerous people are deficient in. and these nutrients are very responsible for supporting cellular energy. So if you are tired and fatigued all the time, there's a good chance this is part of your issue. If you have hypothyroidism, if you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, if you have an issue related to brain health, if you have an issue related to your metabolism and weight gain, B vitamins are critical. And today I'm going to be going through exactly how to get your B vitamin levels up, which is going to support your energy, your hormones, and a whole lot more.

Starting point is 00:02:23 Before I dive in, though, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and sign up for my weekly wellness newsletter where you're also going to get a lot of these show notes. And so if you want some guides and you want to know exactly how to heal and transform your health, make sure to sign up for that weekly newsletter you can find in the show notes. And don't forget to subscribe. Okay. So B vitamins, there's lots of them. And by the way, I'm going to go through some former B vitamins that have been kicked off the B vitamin. Have you? Have you? ever notice when you count up, we get B1, B2, B3, B5, B5, B4? Or B5, B6, what happened to B7? We jump all the way in B8, we jump all the way to B9. I'm going through how some of these other former B vitamins

Starting point is 00:03:09 are lesser known, but also essential to your health. And generally B vitamins, as I mentioned, they're important for energy production, nerve function, and the formation of red blood cells. And without enough B vitamins, your body struggles to convert food into energy and maintain healthy brain, liver, and nervous system function. And I want to go through some of these B vitamins and share with you the ones you might be deficient. And the first one here is vitamin B1, also known as thiamine. This helps convert carbohydrates into energy.

Starting point is 00:03:46 support your metabolism. It's also important for the functioning of your heart muscle. So B1 is important for that. Vitamin B2, also known as ribofloven. This plays a key role in breaking down fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy, and also helps in the fight against oxidative stress. And it's important for cellular function. I want to tell you a quick story. I used to do triathlons. I was on a triathlon team in college. And I had this issue where I can't. kept getting lightheaded. And I went in and did a blood test called a nutrient deficiency test or an organic acids test. And the only thing that came back that I was deficient was vitamin B2.

Starting point is 00:04:28 I started taking it and all of a sudden my lightheadedness went completely away. And there's a lot of people right now that have weakness. They have fatigue. They're not sleeping. They've got nervous system issues. They've got thyroid issues. And they might be one single vitamin away from curate. during the issue. That's the reality. And there are so many people today with B vitamin

Starting point is 00:04:52 deficiencies. Now the next one here is vitamin B3 known as niacin. This is critical for heart health. It's also critical for cholesterol management. It helps improve blood cholesterol levels. Whenever I've had patients coming with high cholesterol, I tend to prescribe them a B complex or a no-flush niacin. And along with CO-Q-10, omega-3 fats, and a few, a very anti-inflammatory diet. But niacin is one of the things I typically prescribe and recommend. It's also important for DNA repair in the production of sex and stress hormones. So B3 is very, very important for blood flow, circulation, heart health, cholesterol management, especially.

Starting point is 00:05:35 The next one here is vitamin B5, known as pantithinic acid. This is very important for adrenal health. If you have adrenal issues or cortisol issues, you want to make sure your vitamin B5, you're vitamin B5 levels are normal and healthy. Also, coenzyme A, it's important for, so for fat metabolism and blood health, but primarily B5, think adrenal health, cortisol, and energy levels. Vitamin B6, known as Pirodoxene. This supports brain and neurological health.

Starting point is 00:06:06 Also neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine and immune function. Now B6, the people I see the greatest deficiency with B6 are women that. that are pregnant. If you get morning sickness and you feel very, very sick, it tends to be a combination of a vitamin B6 and a magnesium deficiency. And so before, if you are planning on getting pregnant or are pregnant, you want to start taking B6 in magnesium, typically in slightly higher doses before, okay, or during, because again, if not, it will lead to major morning sickness. So B, is very, very important for that. And it's important for a number of other things as well, such as methylation.

Starting point is 00:06:51 So is vitamin B2 and B3 as well. B9 and 12 might be even more important. But it is important for that as well. Next up is vitamin B7, known as biotin, which it's sort of interesting. Some people consider biotin a B vitamin and some people don't, okay? Some people kicked it off the list. Some people kept it on the list. But what biotin does is it supports the health of your skin, hair, and nails.

Starting point is 00:07:16 more than anything. Okay, so it supports your skin hair and nails along with the digestion and breakdown of certain fats and proteins, which is partly why also with what your nails are made of of primary collagen, of why it supports the health of those areas. Votum B9 known as folate or folic acid. This is crucial for DNA production and cell division. It helps the formation of red blood cells and it prevents birth defects. Okay. So vitamin B9 also crucial. during pregnancy and important for energy production in cellular health. If your cells are sick or you're aging too quickly, it can also be due to a vitamin B9 deficiency or folate deficiency.

Starting point is 00:07:58 And the vitamin B12 known as cobalamin, okay? This is important for red blood cell production, for preventing anemia. It supports nervous system. It supports DNA synthesis. It's very important for cellular energy. In fact, B12 is oftentimes called the energy vitamin because it's the single most important vitamin for your energy levels. It's also important for adrenal function. And B-12 of all the B-vitamins on this list is probably the one that people are most deficient in overall. Now, folate is also

Starting point is 00:08:29 very high on that list, but I really think B-12 is the highest. Now, I want to mention a few other B-vitamins that have been kicked off of the list. And the most important one of those is known as coline. Collin was vitamin B-4. And it supports your memory, your mood, your muscle, your muscle, control. It also is crucial for liver function. It helps fat metabolism and prevents fat accumulation in the liver. So it's critical for detoxification. It's critical for brain health. It's also critical for your cell membrane integrity. If you want to have healthy cells and age more slowly, coaling is also important. And coline was once considered part of the B complex family of vitamins and was referred to as I mentioned, vitamin B4.

Starting point is 00:09:15 However, it was later reclassified because it did not meet the full criteria as a vitamin. So in order for something to be called a vitamin, that's defined as an essential nutrient that the body cannot synthesize in sufficient quantities on its own. So it must be obtained via diet. Now, that does it mean, though, that a lot of people aren't coline deficient.

Starting point is 00:09:41 your body can synthesize and create some chlorine. However, if your gut microbiome isn't healthy and your liver isn't healthy, you likely cannot, you're not producing enough chlorine on its own. So then that's going to affect your cell membrane. That's going to affect your brain. That's going to affect your liver and cause some of those side effects. So I recommend most B complexes if they're high quality. Most of them will contain some form of chlorine in it as well.

Starting point is 00:10:08 again, though it's not considered a B-vitamin, it is still very much like a B-Vitamin, and many of its functions and importance to the body. A few others, I always just want to mention to vitamin B-8, which it's no longer B-8, but it's insetal. Inocetal was originally considered part of the B-complex family. This is important for sleep. If you're not sleeping at night, it could be insetal. B-8, insetal is very important for sleep in brain and neurological health as well.

Starting point is 00:10:36 So those are the two most important B vitamins that I think were kicked off the list that probably should still, that we should still consider getting in our diet or as a supplement. Now, I want to talk about a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It found that deficiencies in B vitamins, especially B6, B9, and B12, can lead to significant health problems, including anemia and cognitive decline and low energy levels. and we see this constantly where people have low energy. And this is due to your cells and your thyroid and your adrenals are the primary organs and reasons why you feel tired all the time. B12, B6 are probably the most important because B6 and B12 support your red blood cells carrying oxygen to the body.

Starting point is 00:11:30 So again, they're very important for that. Also, as I did mention nerve problems, B6 and B12 are there again. They're crucial for the function of your nerve system. A lot of people that have nerve degeneration, especially diabetics, that get that polyneuropathy, they get that neuropathy in loose feeling and function of their feet is due to B6 and B12 deficiencies. And by the way, metformin certain drugs can make that worse. A few other side effects. Again, by the way, here are the top 10 signs you've got of B vitamin deficiency.

Starting point is 00:12:01 Number one is fatigue and low energy. Number one sign you've got a vitamin B deficiency. And this tends to be coupled with issues like hypothyroidism and low testosterone or adrenal fatigue. Number two, if your skin is pale, that's a warning sign of vitamin deficiency. Nerve problems like tingling or pins and needles in areas. Cognitive issues like memory loss. Mouth sores or cracked lips. Muscle weakness. Mood changes or depression have been all linked to B6, B9, and B12, vision issues. Hair thinning or hair losses is really connected to B7, known as biotin, and then digestive issues. Can also sometimes be tied to this, though it's not the most common. But again, fatigue is the biggest one.

Starting point is 00:12:47 If you've got low energy levels, you tend to have a B vitamin deficiency somewhere within your body. Now here's a few medical conditions also associated with B. vitamin deficiency, anemia. And this could also be megablastic anemia that's associated with B12 and B9 deficiency. Thyroid issues, neuropathy, cognitive decline in cardiovascular disease, especially elevated homocysteine levels, which can be connected to low B6 and sometimes vitamin B3 as well. Now, I want to go through the role of medications in B vitamin deficiency. Did you know that there are numerous medications to deplete your body of B vitamins. The first is metformin. A study published in the

Starting point is 00:13:31 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism noted that long-term use of metformin has been linked to a 30% increase risk in dropping vitamin B-12 levels. So almost every patient I've ever seen that had diabetes and that was on metformin long term had a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Also, oral contraceptives known as birth control, deplete your body of B6, B9, and B12, proton pump inhibitors, B12, H2 blockers, diuretics, deplete your body of B1, antibiotics, deplete your body of almost every B vitamin, but especially B9, anti-seizure medication, statin drugs, deplete your body of B9, ACE inhibitors, and antidepressants, deplete your body heavily of vitamin B6. So we know that if you're taking a conventional medication, your likelihood of having a B vitamin deficiency is even higher. I also want to mention

Starting point is 00:14:27 one of biggest things that causes B vitamin deficiencies is emotional stress. In particular, vitamin B5, because that's connected to the adrenal glands and vitamin B6. So if you know you're under very, very heavy bouts of stress, you probably want to take a B complex vitamin. Hey everyone, Dr. Josh Axe here. Listen, if you're struggling with restless nights and daily stress. I have a revolutionary solution for you. I'm talking about the Soul Tech system, which has been expertly designed to transform the way you sleep and manage stress. Developed by experts in sleep technology, SolTech system sinks with your nervous system rhythms, enhancing deep sleep and helping you wake up refreshed and recharged. Deep or Delta sleep is our most

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Starting point is 00:15:46 Discover how better sleep and less stress can lead to better days. Visit www.soultechhealth.com to learn more and save $100 off your purchase using the code axe. That's AXC for $100 off your purchase. Experience the difference for yourself with a 60-day risk-free trial. Soul Tech Health, rest, recover, and rejuvenate. And I want to talk about the subpopulations that have the greatest risk of B vitamin deficiency. Vegans and vegetarians. Now, vegans especially, if you're a vegetarian and you're consuming eggs and you're consuming dairy and some protein powder, you can get a, you tend to be fine with B12. But when we have vegans or vegetarians that don't get much protein via plants, we tend to have major issues. B12 is

Starting point is 00:16:37 only found in animal products. Okay. So if you're a vegan or a vegetarian, you almost always want a supplement with a B-complex or a B-12 supplement. By the way, older adults also have lower levels of B- vitamins, especially B-12. Women that are pregnant in breastfeeding tend to have lower levels of B-9 and B-6, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. People would digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, IBS Crohn's colitis, or leaky gut syndrome have lower levels of B-vitamins, especially B-12. And so, you know, you you want to make sure if you have any of those conditions, you supplement with a B complex or make sure you're getting more foods that are high in B vitamins.

Starting point is 00:17:21 Now, there are common tests where you can test to see if you have B vitamin deficiencies. One test is a micronutrient test or organic acids test. That can look for B vitamin deficiency. Serum B12 test. This measures the level of vitamin B12 in your blood. A folate, not known as a B9 test, this measures folate levels in your blood, crucial for red blood cell formation, and a homoelitis. Acisstine test when it's elevated homocysteine levels indicate deficiencies in B6, B9, and B12.

Starting point is 00:17:52 Now, one thing a lot of people don't realize is in order to absorb certain vitamins and nutrients, you need other vitamins and nutrients. If you want to fully absorb B vitamins, the most critical nutrient of all is good bacteria. It's probiotics. That is absolutely essential for supporting good bacteria. Okay. So oftentimes if you've got low B vitamin levels, what's even more important than taking a B complex is taking a probiotic. The next one, there is magnesium. You need magnesium to activate and work with B6 for absorption, if you're low in vitamin B6.

Starting point is 00:18:26 Another one is zinc. Zinc is important for the metabolism of vitamin B12 and the absorption of B12. And then vitamin C also works for the absorption of folate. So you want to make sure not only you're taking supplements, but you're eating foods that are going to have, you want to make sure you're eating a diet that is very nutrient dense. a lot of fruits, a lot of vegetables, a lot of organic meats, and a lot of probiotic rich foods. Now, here are some natural ways to boost your B vitamin levels with foods.

Starting point is 00:18:56 Number one is consume organic meat, especially red meat, and consuming organ meats like liver. Now, you can take liver tablets or capsules, you can do chicken liver. You can also do a lot of red meat, like bison and lamb and beef. The next thing would be eggs, specifically egg yolks or high in coline in certain B vitamins. Salmon is a great source of B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12. D dairy, dairy like raw cheeses and then fermented dairy, like yogurt and kefir, are really good options, especially doing raw fermented dairy from your local farmers market. Green vegetables, especially dark green leafies are spinach and kale, especially if they're steamed,

Starting point is 00:19:41 are very high in B vitamins. Beans are good. And then fermented foods. Sourcrowt, kimchi, kvass, as we mentioned, yogurt and kefir earlier. These are all, miso, these are all going to help boost up those B vitamin levels. Now, I also want to mention that the form of B vitamins you take are important. B vitamins are better if they're taken in their methylated form.

Starting point is 00:20:07 Okay, you want to take an enzyme activated or methylated form that is a high. quality. Listen, if you run out to your local drugstore, CVS or wherever, and buy those B vitamins, I think that most of the brands carried in drugstores are garbage. You're better off not even taking them. You want to go and buy a brand that is whole food based. Whole food based vitamins are going to be something like ancient nutrition or Garden of Life or Longevity RX. You want to flip over the bottle and it should say, you know, it should say umla berry. It should say spinach, it should say probiotics, it should say food on the label, okay? So when you're buying a brand of vitamins, you want to look for methylated nutrients, enzyme activated,

Starting point is 00:20:53 nutrients that are in their whole food form. And there are many people that have the MTHFR gene variant that doesn't allow them to convert the methyl, the folate that they consume in food into methylfolate, which is what your cells need and your organs need in order to actually make it usable. Imagine that when you eat certain foods, it gives you the car. It gives you everything but the wheels. Everything but the tires and wheels. Then once it gets in your body, we got to put those wheels on, okay? That's what it's like is you're taking a B vitamin. It's like consuming a car. You need something to be running through your body, but it doesn't give you wheels. Most people can put the wheels on, 60% of people. 40% of people who have this variation. their body isn't putting the wheels on.

Starting point is 00:21:42 So then they have this thing that they can't do anything with, okay? Versus when you take a methylated B vitamin, it gives you the car with the wheels, okay? So you don't need to add it on. It's already good to go. So for a lot of you, you're better off taking a methylated B vitamin, a methylated multi, or your supplements need to have, especially the B6, the B9, B12,

Starting point is 00:22:03 have those in their methylated forms. Okay. Now, I do want to say for most people, like taking a liver, supplement or an organ supplement is really, really fantastic for, because it has other nutrients as well, they're important for methylation. If you're a person in your low in B vitamins, here's what I would suggest. Number one, I'm going to surprise you with this. The number one thing you should take is a probiotic. It's not even a B complex. I think the number one thing most of you guys should take is a probiotic because it's critical to the absorption. There are studies that show anywhere from a 40

Starting point is 00:22:36 to a 50% increase in the actual absorption of the B. B vitamins you're getting from your food if you take a probiotic supplement. That's number one. Number two is take a B complex supplement, okay? Ideally, that has some methylated or enzyme-actamated or real nutrients in it. Number three is a liver or a organ supplement, okay, that has things like liver, kidney, heart in it. You want to take an organ supplement. And those are the top three.

Starting point is 00:23:04 If you've got B-vitamin issues, you take those three, you take a good high-dose probiotic, especially with soy mice organisms. You take a methylady B complex. You take a liver organ supplement. You're going to feel night and day difference. It's going to help tremendously. A few other things that are good for supporting B vitamin levels. Stinging nettles.

Starting point is 00:23:21 Ashwaganda, trifala, astragalus. Some of these herbs have high B vitamins, but also they work with your body to absorb nutrients and they support your cells in creating, working with those B vitamins to create cellular energy, Rodeola Rosea is another good one.

Starting point is 00:23:39 So there are some herbals and foods that are good for that as well. So I want to reference a powerful study here on probiotics to prove my point. This was a study done and they looked at vitamin B1, B3, B5, and B12 levels when somebody took not only a B vitamin supplement, but they took a probiotic supplement with it. By the way, this wasn't even a high dose probiotic supplement. This is simply a lactobacillus strain supplement. Now, this was an animal study. but they found an increased rate of absorption between 15 and 71%. Think about that. Some people had nearly

Starting point is 00:24:16 or over a 70% increase in absorption from taking this low dose single strain probiotic supplement with the B vitamins. Now imagine if you take a high dose, super high quality probiotic supplement, it could increase your absorption rate by over 100% in all likelihood. So the reality is taking a probiotic supplement with your vitamins can do wonders. Okay. So it's important that, again, and I would say especially if you've got gutter digestive issues with this or a medical condition, like a thyroid issue or autoimmune disease, you absolutely want to take a probiotic with it as well. So remember this, B vitamins are crucial. Most people have a B vitamin deficiency. They have at least one of those vitamins that are deficient in. You can go and get a blood test done, like a micronutrient

Starting point is 00:25:02 test. It's a great test to look at it. You can test for homocysteine. You can test for B12. That's a great way to know. But also just look at your symptoms. Do you have low energy? Do you have hypothyroidism? Do you, are you on one of those medications we talked about? If so, consider taking at the very least a probiotic and a B complex supplement with metham methylated nutrients. It could absolutely be a game changer for you and for your health. Hey, I want to say thanks so much for tuning in here to the Dr. Josh Axe Show. I hope you'd enjoy this episode on B vitamins. This is part of my series on vitamins and nutrients. I've covered vitamin D and magnesium and zinc and so many others. If you haven't listened to those, go back and listen. I think it'll be eye-opening, and it's always great to be

Starting point is 00:25:44 educated, right? So now you can help others get well as well. Hey, thanks so much for subscribing, liking, and sharing this podcast. Remember, the more you subscribe, the more you share, I'm more able to bring on higher profile guests like the Carrie Underwoods and the Mark Hyman's and Will Coles and these amazing people I've had on the show so many times before. And also, again, when you share this, you're on mission with me. You're helping change the world. So thanks so much for that. I'll see you on the next episode.

The Dr. Josh Axe Show - 10 Signs You Have a B Vitamins Deficiency (How to Boost B Vitamins Naturally)

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