Why bother to take vitamins? Aren’t they just expensive pee? No! If you’re looking at taking vitamins and nutrients *solely* to correct a deficiency, from that perspective, they may be a waste if you’re getting the bare minimum recommended daily allowance.. But if you are looking to take them therapeutically - ie to *feel better* - working with your personalized needs, genetics and goals, they can be powerful tools. Example: Surveys estimate that up to 40% of Americans may be deficient in vitamin B12. A B12 deficiency can cause exhaustion, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and a host of other mental issues. In addition to that, around 60%+ of us have the genetic variant MTHFR, which can worsen depression and anxiety if you aren’t taking the right B-vitamins. Specifically the MTHFR gene codes for an enzyme that converts certain B vitamins, folate (B9) and B12, into more usable forms, which the body uses as essential building blocks for serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. If you inherit a variant of this gene, your body can’t convert these Bs into their usable forms as quickly, disrupting your gut and your brain’s ability to manufacture those mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters. I have this variant and wish I knew about this earlier in my life, because looking back it really would’ve helped with my high school and college angst. And when I started taking methylated B12 and 5-MTHF (the methylated version of folate) it was game changing for my level of positivity, anxiety and kind of overall outlook. In my recent conversation with Jesse Chappus on the @ultimatehealthpodcast I go in depth about supplements, mental health, exercise and more. Head to my Podcast story highlight to listen to the full episode! And check out the link in my bio to learn more about the MTHFR gene💚