The MTHFR Gene: Why Your Vitamins Might Be Useless (And What to Do) | TUH #096
Did you know that nearly 44-60% of the population could unknowingly carry a gene mutation that impacts their health in significant …
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February 9, 2026
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I’ve never had anxiety in my life and heard this moron telling everyone to go buy methylated vitamins. So I did, now I have anxiety attacks pretty much daily, discovered that it was the methylated vitamins and now trying to learn and understand how to clear over overmethylation so I can have my fucking life back.
If you hear anyone telling you to just start taking methylated vitamins. Trust me, ignore them.
What should someone with one mutation take if homocysteine is 11.9 B12 and folate low but within normal but they have post infectious IBS (vinculin antibodies) and u resolved SIBO, IMO Teen
Gary, is it harmful to take methylated vitamin B is one does not have that gene mutation?
I’m just now finding out about this because they did a gene test on my breast. They never educated me whatsoever.
I saw a short video on Facebook where you were talking about the gene mutation and anxiety, and how we are taking the wrong types of vitamins. I've had a horrible experience with anxiety and panic attacks most of my life. I've had almost every anxiety symptoms possible, including numbness, electric shock feeling, vision problems, tingling, burning tongue, hair loss, depression, extreme fear of heights, fear of driving in the freeways, social anxiety, and other symptoms. I've been to countless doctors, CAT scans, EKG, stress test, ultrasounds, x-rays, ER visits trying to find the solution to my problem, but all they could do was give me Xanax and other anxiety medicines. On the video you were talking about the five MTHFR the folate plus b12 vitamins. I didn't want to wait in order from you guys so I went to natural grocers and found some of the vitamins. I just want to tell everyone to please give it a try. I started taking them and I immediately felt the difference. I have been taking the vitamins for about a month now and I can tell you that the anxiety attacks and panic attacks have disappeared. It does not make me feel numb like the drugs the doctors give you, I still feel worries here and there like a normal human being but I feel like now there is something that is keeping it under control, It is no longer a giant monster now it's a normal reaction to stressors. I pray that anyone out there that has had problems with anxiety will try these vitamins.
What is the right supplement to take if have high homocysteine (11.9) and test positive for c.1286A>C (p. Glu429Ala), legacy name: A1298C – Detected,
heterozygous simultaneously dealing with post infectious IBS (vinculin antibody proven) and unresolved SIBO/IMO
Thank you for sharing this information. You have changed my life.
I was so fatigued that I would have to lay down after taking a shower. I couldn’t hold the hairdryer to dry my hair. I was told I had fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, anxiety, Hashimoto’s, social anxiety.
This was debilitating for a 45 year old cardiac cath lab RN. I was afraid I was too weak to care for my patients.
I joined Function Health so I could control my lab work. I did extensive testing & found MTHFR +
One day of methylated B complex and I did a full body gym workout! I lost 5 pounds of bloating in 3 days!
Right, I graduated high school around the same time as you did, '86, and I did not even know what Autism was – nor did I witness people in school/classes through the years that exhibited the varying (autism) behaviors that we are seeing these days. Now I have NUMEROUS friends who have kids & grandkids with varying degrees of the autism "spectrum". There is DEFINITELY something going on. Also, many, MANY of my friends and family have been diagnosed with ADHD, CPTSD, etc. in the past 10+yrs… again, there is def something going on. Tanks Gary!
If I know I have the MTHFR mutation do I have to test low for folate to take mthylfolate? And how much would be the recommended dose? What about if there is fatty liver and other detoxification issues? Thanks for the great info
How do you get tested for the gene (and any other gene) mutations
I thought I’d found something to help me and started taking drops with methylfolate and methylcobalamine but they seem to cause the same severe irritability and stress that unmethylated vitamins cause with me. What’s going on?
If you have a child with Autism or you have a MTHFR gene mutation, I encourage you to contact your representatives in D.C. and ask that they pass a bill to stop the Folic acid supplementation of foods and vitamins.
There are 4 actions needed that can be simultaneous:
1 Deadline for all use of folic acid to end.
2 Deadline for all manufacturers of prenatal vitamins, children’s vitamins, infant formulas to have a formate form of vitamin B9 and require they have no synthetic dyes to include titanium dioxide.
3 Nutritional education on dietary sources of folate and folinic acid. It’s more than eat your greens as lentils was listed as highest source.
4 Require the chemical name for the form of vitamin B9 to be used on labels and stop the use of folate to describe folic acid.
Could the spike in autism be related to the supplementation of food with folic acid and large percentage of people who carry the MTHFR gene?
When I heard the news that folinic acid/leucovorin helps autism, God helped my mind immediately link to the inability of many with MTHFR gene mutation to be able to convert folic acid to an activated form of folate and in women with this gene having habitual abortion/recurrent pregnancy loss were supplemented with activated folate. The FDA required supplementation of foods with folic acid that became mandatory in 1996 for 1998 implementation. Now you see folic acid added to all kinds of things to the point that some people may be overdosed with a synthetic form of folate that is not found in nature and the body does not utilize unless it is converted to folate. This was due to the fact that folate (vitamin B9) use is thought to decrease neural tube defects (NTD) as reported in a 1991 study of vitamins using folic acid as the form of folate. Folic acid is a synthetic version of folate but it requires an enzyme in the liver to convert it to the active form of folate whereas dietary folate is absorbed already activated. Many people lack this enzyme and are unable to convert it into an active form. Failure to convert it to folate could lead to a build up of folic acid in the blood. In particular a large part of the population world wide carry the MTHFR gene mutation, 40% overall and up to 50% of some population groups, and have a reduced or no ability to convert folic acid to an active form of folate. Therefore folinic acid/Leucovorin which is already an activated form and does not require conversion would be effective in this population.
Since OB doctors continued to prescribe prenatal vitamins which already have a higher level of folic acid because there was no way to know what was consumed in diet and had a potentially false assumption that being a water soluble vitamin it would not lead to overdose but actually when the two sources were combined led to overdoses in those who do not have the enzyme to covert to folate which is also a necessary step to remove it from the body. The maximum recommended dose for folic acid is listed at 1 mg and there have been prior reports that high doses cause neural toxicity.
A study looking at children with MTHFR gene and Autism blood levels of folic acid would help answer this question. Make sure the test is for folic acid because when searched, it kept saying folate was tested and this comes from normal not supplemented dietary sources or those that have the enzyme to convert from folic acid. If yes, elevated, then stop all food supplementation with folic acid,
Pediatricians and OB/Perinatologists should work with vitamin manufacturing and formula manufacturers to replace folic acid with the naturally occurring form of folinic acid or folate in baby drops, children’s chewable, prenatal vitamins, infant formula, and remove folic acid from all vitamins/supplements.
Is there linkage of MTFHR and autism? It appears that there is a link with MTFHR gene, low levels of folate in the cerebral spinal fluid, and autism so my theory holds weight. This is where the recommendation for using folinic acid/Leucovorin was derived. I was unable to find any reports regarding testing of folic acid blood level linked with autism, however high blood levels have been linked to other chronic disease.
Have supplemented foods lowered NTD? I only found a graph showing 1995-2011 NTD broken out by race which was highest in Hispanic similar to the prevalence of MTHFR gene and an article lamenting the failure to do so. The blame was placed on inconsistent implementation across the world and too low a level of supplementation and recommending even higher levels of folic acid as the solution. (Folic Acid and neural tube defects: Discovery, debate and the need for policy change, Nicholas J. Wald, J Med Screen 2022 Jun 23. He was also lead author of the Medical Research Council Vitamin study group in 1991 in which 6 NTD vs. 21 NTD in folic acid supplemented compared to without. This study was basis for adding folic acid to foods, was small, of short duration, and stopped early when folic acid group met metric to be significant. Also 2022 article reported a Hungarian study after the 1991 study failed to show improvement in NTD with folic acid. This article is a good overview and start of a more in depth review of folic acid supplementation for NTD.) The other articles were promoting folic acid success by a made up number of NTD prevented by calculating the number of NTD occurrences by a factor derived from the above study. Folic acid is being promoted as the only proven way to decrease NTD when actually what the body needs is activated folate. Maybe what is needed is to supplement with formate folate since this was effective in preventing NTD 100% in animals beginning prior to pregnancy to lower NTD and to stop all use of folic acid if it is elevated in autism. Since activated folate is necessary for neurotransmitters, it makes me wonder if our increased mental health crisis is also related to folic acid competing with food derived folate on the cell receptors. Since folate is needed to convert homocysteine, there may be impact on other chronic diseases that could be improved by eliminating folic acid and replacing it with diet or an activated form of folate possibly a methylated form.
Sometimes just stopping what may be causing harm and tracking outcomes afterwards is the most effective way to get an answer rather than trying to disprove a new theory and hang on to an old way of thinking if the supplementation of folic acid has not been effective for NTD prevention. Particularly when there has now been a long term population based study that indicates it is ineffective. This is a situation in which there is no way to design a “gold standard” study due to confounding presence of activated folate from diet and the high prevalence of MTFHR gene mutation.
From CDC, i.e. the government, 2025:
"You may have heard that if you have an MTHFR variant, you should avoid folic acid and should take other types of folate, such as 5-MTHF. However, this is not true. People with an MTHFR gene variant can process all types of folate, including folic acid. Folic acid is the only type of folate shown to help prevent neural tube defects (NTDs).1…
..If you could become pregnant, you should get 400 mcg of folic acid daily, even if you have an MTHFR variant…
…Taking folic acid at the recommended amounts has not been shown to cause harm."
Do you have any videos that explain the myhfr Homozygous gene mutation?
Thank you Gary. You have changed and saved my life is so many ways. Starting with learning about this vitamin from your first appearance on Diary of a CEO. One Love my Brothers and Sisters ❤️🤍💙
So, supplement with 5-methylfolate and reduce intake of folic acid. Should one with the MTHFR gene also reduce intake of naturally occurring folate in foods? Or is it less about limiting folic acid and just making sure you supplement with 5-myth folate?
How do you administer it to a child with Autism??
I have ADD and in the last year I 've also had 2 miscarriages. Recently my doctor tested me for a couple things including MTHFR gene. Turns out I indeed have this. It also explains a lot of gut issues I've been having for as long as I remember. I'm so happy she tested me so we can work on it. Oh and I have heart palpitations every now and then which is scary.
Thanks for the clear explanation. The zipper was a very good reference.
How do you get tested for this gene?
It’s important to remember that everyone is unique. I started taking methylated b vitamins and gave myself anxiety and depression!!! Turns out I’m a slow COMT metabolizer! I have low enzyme activity which leads to higher dopamine, norepinephrine, and estrogen levels in my body after taking methylated b vitamins. This creates anxiety!
It’s a catch 22 because the vitamin Bs were lowering my histamine levels and helping with my hair fall, but not worth it if I’m having panic attacks. Trying to figure out how to get the benefit without the sure effects. Sharing to help others that might be slow COMT metabolizes too.
You and Dr. Berg have helped me so much i can never thank both of you enough. You brought MTHFR to my awareness. Within the same week i saw a video from Dr.Berg about signs of B1+ deficiency. I purchased his vitamins. They Helped me feel alive for the 1st time in my life. Then i bought his multi vitamins + trace minerals and again i felt amazing. So then i came across this video and i decided to look into Dr.Bergs form of folate and i found out it was 5-methyltetrahydrofolate 😂 i thank the universe for your wisdom, knowledge, and guidance. You are a blessing to the world. I also use Ancestry DNA RAW DATA & I discovered i was MTHFR C677TT.. i am now saving to try your 10x health program bc i know i need it, but its just expensive for me at the moment. I hope in the future i can afford it.
Is there an at home test that you suggest?
How much folate to take for MTHFR
I have panhypopituitarism should I supplement with 5-.methyl folate? I take cortisol, thyroid and growth hormone. Help!
How do you test for this gene mutation?
To whom ever can advice which is the best methfolate 5 to buy
Thanks in advance ❤
Me 68 Bad ADHD
My 38 year old daughter has suffered from paranoia for 17 years or so. She was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder while in college. At the moment, she is in hospital being assessed with a view to being medicated with some psychotic medication.
Last week I received reports for us both revealing that she has 2 defective MHTFR genes! I will be showing these reports to her GP and asking for a referral to someone who can actually help but I’ll be showing to the doctors at the hospital tomorrow too.
Thank you so much for this insight. The puzzle is finally coming together 😌
How many mg of 5 mthf to take
Thanks!