This blog post features a few key takeaways from Dr. Megan’s Wellness Your Way podcast interview with Dr. Darren Schmidt, DC about why thiamine may be the hidden cause of your fatigue, brain fog, and metabolic dysfunction. Find the full episode here and be sure to subscribe to Wellness Your Way so you don’t miss future episodes!

Guest Bio: Dr. Darren Schmidt, DC

Dr. Darren Schmidt, D.C., is a chiropractor and clinical nutrition expert who has dedicated his practice exclusively to holistic nutrition since 1998 and is the founder and CEO of the Nutritional Healing Center of Ann Arbor. He combines modern nutritional science with time-tested therapeutic principles to help patients uncover the root causes of chronic illness and restore lasting health.

Dr. Schmidt is also a sought-after speaker and educator, sharing his insights with thousands of healthcare professionals through seminars and online platforms. His work emphasizes whole-food nutrition, individualized care, and a comprehensive approach to wellness that addresses underlying mechanisms of disease.

Top Insights from Dr. Darren’s Interview

1. 1. Most people know about B12, but almost no one is talking about B1 (thiamine) even though its deficiency may quietly drive fatigue, brain fog, heart symptoms, and poor stress tolerance.
   2. You can appear “normal” on standard blood work and still be functionally deficient in B1 at the cellular and mitochondrial level.
   3. Chronic stress alone may be enough to drain B1 stores, even in people who eat well and supplement regularly.
   4. Breathing issues, cold hands and feet, gut dysfunction, neuropathy, and even “air hunger” may share a surprising nutrient connection.
   5. Why coffee, tea, alcohol, medications, and environmental toxins can accelerate depletion of a nutrient your body stores in tiny amounts.
   6. The form of B1 matters. Most supplements and tests may miss what actually works inside the cell.
   7. A cutting-edge, low-cost blood test may reveal early metabolic dysfunction long before traditional labs raise red flags.
   8. Why detox efforts can stall (or even backfire!) if the body lacks the nutrients required to generate cellular energy
   9. How restoring energy production at the mitochondrial level may change how we think about chronic symptoms, aging, and prevention.

Want to hear the full episode, including the surprising way Dr. Darren cleans his water, why removing toxins might not solve the issue right away, and so much more?

Check out the podcast episode here!