Vitamin A Tag

Micronutrient supplement improves emotional regulation in children—a promising non-stimulant alternative to conventional psychological treatments. mpkb.org

Vitamin A

Children who struggle to regulate their emotions often experience difficulties with irritability, frustration, and intense anger. This lack of control can lead to challenges in relationships, academic performance, and overall mental health. A recent study found that micronutrient supplements absorbed in the mouth may offer a safe and effective way to improve emotion regulation in children.

Researchers conducted a three-phase study involving 48 children with moderate to severe irritability. They assigned the children to two groups: one that began taking a micronutrient powder immediately and one that waited four weeks. The powder provided 36 vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, came in various flavors, and was specifically formulated for oral absorption. Over the next five months, both groups alternated between taking the supplements and taking breaks, concluding with three months of continuous supplementation. The researchers measured changes in the children’s emotional and behavioral symptoms.

Children in the immediate treatment group experienced considerable reductions in irritability, with 67% categorized as “much” or “very much” better versus only 8% in the waitlist group. These benefits extended to symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder. Notably, improvements in mood and behavior diminished when children stopped taking the supplements but returned upon resuming treatment. Side effects were rare, with mild headaches and sweating reported slightly more often in the waitlist group.

These findings suggest that supplemental micronutrients absorbed through the mouth may be a promising option for managing emotional dysregulation in children. By offering a safe and non-stimulant alternative, this approach could help address the needs of children who do not respond well to conventional ADHD drugs. Listen as Dr. Andrew Huberman describes how behavioral tools and supplements may replace ADHD medications.

Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure alters breast milk proteins, potentially impairing neurodevelopment in breastfed infants. www.utep.edu

Nutrition Development Vitamin A Breast Milk

Beta-lactoglobulin is a protein in breast milk. It binds to retinol, a form of vitamin A that plays a crucial role in neurodevelopment, facilitating its transport. A recent study found that nanoplastic exposure induces structural changes in beta-lactoglobulin, impairing retinol binding and transport.

Researchers conducted a multi-part study to investigate the effect of polystyrene nanoparticles on beta-lactoglobulin. First, they measured changes in the protein’s structure and its ability to bind retinol. Then, they examined polystyrene’s effects on lysozyme, an antibacterial protein found in breast milk. Finally, they assessed the effects of polystyrene exposure in worms.

They found that polystyrene nanoparticles induced dose-dependent structural changes in beta-lactoglobulin, impairing its ability to bind to retinol. They identified similar structural abnormalities in lysozyme, driving the formation of amyloid fibrils (abnormal protein clumps). In worms, polystyrene impaired movement, similar to the effects of the neurotoxin paraquat.

These findings suggest that polystyrene nanoparticles alter breast milk protein structures and functions, potentially driving nutritional deficiencies and neurological damage.

Read full publication.

Coming soon: a comprehensive overview article on microplastics.

Estrogen may reduce high-fat diet-induced visceral fat accumulation by decreasing the expression of a vitamin A-converting enzyme - mouse study.(2012) www.sciencedaily.com

Hormones Fat Estrogen Vitamin A Weight Loss Visceral Fat

From the article:

The hormonal effect seen in these mice relates at least in part to how the female body processes vitamin A, a nutrient that is converted into a variety of compounds. These include a molecule that supports the burning of fat for energy, as well as retinoic acid, the hormone in this study that leads to the formation of visceral fat. The scientists showed that a high-fat diet functions as a switching mechanism that breaks down the fat-burning molecule and leads to activation of the enzyme and production of retinoic acid, ending in the development of visceral fat.

A year ago, Ziouzenkova’s lab identified the one of these enzymes that relates to fat accumulation: Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1, or Aldh1a1. In the current study, she and colleagues conducted numerous experiments in mice to track the events that followed activation of this enzyme.

The researchers compared normal mice with genetically altered mice lacking the enzyme over almost a year of eating a high-fat diet. Male and female normal mice gained weight on the high-fat diet, as expected, though the females developed more visceral fat that surrounds the organs than did males, a trend also seen in humans as the result of eating excess fat. (In contrast, on a regular diet, men are more likely than women to form abdominal fat.) Both sexes of mice developed peripheral subcutaneous fat, which lies just under the skin and has some benefits.

In mice without the enzyme, however, the males developed some fat but females remained lean, and this occurred even when females ate more food than males. The researchers determined that without Aldh1a1, the females were not producing retinoic acid, and that protected them from producing visceral fat. Meanwhile, males retained the ability to produce retinoic acid.

The scientists then analyzed the proteins contained in fat tissue in male and female mice lacking the enzyme, and saw that only the females' fat cells contained high levels of a protein that releases fat from fat cells to support fat burning. This release led to production of another protein that converts fat to heat, essentially burning the fat, in the form of lipids, away.

“Without production of the hormone retinoic acid, females are burning fat and expending the energy in the form of heat. That’s why they stay very lean,” Ziouzenkova said. “And this process was specifically affecting visceral fat.”

The researchers surgically removed the ovaries of mice to test whether estrogen could be related to visceral fat production in females. As soon as the animals became menopausal and weren’t producing estrogen, they began to produce retinoic acid, which led to visceral fat formation.

“Estrogen was sufficient to protect female mice from both hormonal and, partially, diet-induced obesity. This means estrogen is suppressing activation of the obesity-inducing hormone, and as soon as we lose this estrogen during menopause, the visceral fat starts to grow,” said Ziouzenkova, also an investigator in Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Using another mouse model that allowed researchers to measure hormone production specifically, the researchers observed that female mice on a regular diet barely produced retinoic acid. However, females on a high-fat diet produced high levels of the hormone and, in turn, showed a nine-fold increase in visceral fat compared to visceral fat developed by males on a high-fat diet. This was the final determinant that the high-fat diet triggers this cascade of events ending in visceral fat formation.

Because the human fat tissue samples the researchers analyzed also showed elevated levels of Aldh1a1 in cells extracted from tissue in obese women, “it could be that what we show about this hormone’s importance to visceral obesity in mice is also true for humans,” Ziouzenkova said.

View full publication

Athletes who play indoor sports at risk for vitamin D deficiency. www.sciencedaily.com

Depression Vitamin B12 Vitamin A Dairy

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that is involved in multiple physiological processes. Inadequate vitamin D status is associated with poor bone health, impaired immune function, and increased risk for depression. Approximately 70 percent of people living in the United States are vitamin D deficient. A recent study found that athletes who participate in indoor sports may be at high risk for vitamin D deficiency.

Although vitamin D is available in small quantities in food, the primary source of vitamin D is via endogenous synthesis. This process occurs in a stepwise manner that starts in the skin following exposure to ultraviolet light and continues in the liver and kidneys, where the vitamin’s active form is made. Since ultraviolet light is required for vitamin D synthesis, reduced exposure to the sun or having dark-colored skin impairs vitamin D production. Plasma concentrations of vitamin D are considered optimal at 50 ng/mL or above; sufficient at 30 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL; and insufficient at less than 30 ng/mL.

The study involved 20 male and female collegiate basketball players (average age, 20 years) of varied races and ethnicities. The majority of the players (60 percent) self-reported as African American. The authors of the study collected blood samples to determine the players' vitamin D status, assessed their body composition, and measured their skin pigmentation. The participants completed questionnaires about their sun exposure, winter travel to sunny locations, and sunscreen use.

Then the authors allocated the players to receive one of three daily doses of vitamin D for five months, based on whether their vitamin D status was optimal (no supplementation), sufficient (5,000 IU), or insufficient (10,000 IU). Two of the participants had vitamin D concentrations in the optimal range, five in the sufficient range, and 13 in the insufficient range. More than 90 percent of those identified as insufficient had dark or olive skin tone.

At the end of the five-month study period, one of the athletes in the non-supplemented group remained in the optimal range but the other athlete dropped to the sufficient range. Of the athletes taking the 5000 IU dose, 75 percent remained in the sufficient range, but 25 percent dropped to the insufficient range. Of those taking the 10,000 IU dose, 23 percent remained in the insufficient range, 69 percent moved into the sufficient range, and one moved into the optimal range.

These findings suggest that collegiate athletes who play indoor sports may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Furthermore, high dose supplementation with 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily may be beneficial in improving vitamin D status for most players, but it falls short for some.

Link to full study.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet for one year promotes gut bacteria linked to healthy aging in older adults. www.sciencedaily.com

Diet Aging Saturated Fat Vitamin A Protein Metabolic Syndrome

Frailty is a syndrome that commonly manifests in older adults. It carries an increased risk for poor health outcomes including falls, disability, hospitalization, and death. A key driver in the development of frailty is inflammation, which often accompanies diet-induced changes in the gut microbiota. Findings from a recent study suggest that eating a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and fiber, and low in saturated fat and red meat, alters the gut microbiome in older adults to reduce the risk of frailty.

The intervention study involved more than 600 older, non-, pre-frail, or frail older adults living throughout Europe. Roughly half of the participants followed a Mediterranean diet for one year, while the other half, which served as the control group, ate their regular diets. Before and after the one-year intervention, the authors of the study profiled the microbial makeup of the participants' gut microbiome. Whereas the microbiome of the participants from the northern European countries shared many similarities, the participants from Italy had a distinct microbiome.

At the end of the study, the participants who adhered to the Mediterranean diet showed reductions in biomarkers associated with inflammation (such as C-reactive protein and interleukin 17) and improvements in frailty-associated measures (such as handgrip strength, gait speed time, and cognitive function). The authors of the study observed notable changes in the participants' gut microbiomes, which were associated with higher numbers of bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids – byproducts of dietary fiber metabolism that reduce gut inflammation.

These findings suggest that dietary interventions that promote adherence to a Mediterranean diet may be beneficial in reducing the risk of developing frailty among older adults due to changes in gut microbiota and reduced inflammation.

Interestingly, some of the benefits observed among the participants in this study may be related to their increased intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Without these nutrients, the body has to compensate for the shortages – a concept known as “triaging.” Long-term compensation contributes to aging. Watch this clip in which Dr. Bruce Ames explains this phenomenon in what he calls his triage theory.

Link to full study.

Many dietary supplements are contaminated with microbial and heavy metal contamination, adulteration with synthetic drugs and more. journals.sagepub.com

Vitamin A Supplements

The dietary supplement market comprises a $40 billion industry in the United States. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act – legislation enacted in 1994 stipulating that the FDA regulate dietary supplements as food, so they are not subject to premarket approval or the same effectiveness and safety testing required for drugs – left the industry largely unregulated. A recent editorial reports that many dietary supplements may be contaminated with heavy metals or microbes or may contain synthetic drugs or ingredients not listed on their labeling.

Dietary supplements comprise a wide range of products, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, botanicals, and other products. They may be in pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid form. Dietary supplement use is widespread in the United States, with industry sources claiming that more than three-fourths of all Americans take a dietary supplement of some kind. Older adults, in particular, are avid supplement consumers, with as many as 70 percent of older adults reporting that they take one or more types of supplements in a given month. An astounding 29 percent of older adults take more than four types of supplements in a given month.

Microbial contamination commonly occurs during the processing of the natural products in many dietary supplements, according to the report. A study of more than 180 samples of popular supplements, including St. John’s wort, cumin, ginger, garlic, and others, found that nearly all of the samples contained some degree of microbial contamination, posing considerable risks to consumers. The report also stated that one type of natural product, kratom, contained one or more types of Salmonella, which resulted in multiple hospitalizations.

Heavy metal contamination also poses concerns due to their association with several health conditions, including dementia. In a study of more than 120 dietary supplements sold in Canada, many of the products contained excessive levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, aluminum, and mercury. A study of dietary supplement products used in Ayurvedic medicine revealed that an alarming percentage of these products were contaminated with heavy metals, as well.

Many dietary supplements are adulterated with unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients, according to the report. Bodybuilding, weight-loss, and sexual-enhancement products are the most common types of supplements that the FDA has found to often contain undeclared drugs, and some of the drugs identified include phosphodiesterase inhibitors (for erectile dysfunction), diuretics, and sibutramine (for weight loss), among others.

A final concern is that many dietary supplements products simply aren’t composed of what they purportedly contain. Some may contain substitute products (either due to reduced availability or to foreign language issues), while others simply don’t provide the amount indicated on the labeling.

These issues put consumers at considerable risk for both acute and chronic adverse health effects of dietary supplement consumption. Consumers should look for dietary supplement products that have undergone independent third-party testing from organizations such as USP, NSF,ConsumerLab.com, or Labdoor.

Many dietary supplements may be contaminated with heavy metals or microbes or may contain synthetic drugs or ingredients not listed on their labeling. journals.sagepub.com

Vitamin A Supplements

The dietary supplement market comprises a $40 billion industry in the United States. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act – legislation enacted in 1994 stipulating that the FDA must regulate dietary supplements as food, so they are not subject to premarket approval or the same effectiveness and safety testing required for drugs – left the industry largely unregulated. A recent editorial reports that many dietary supplements may be contaminated with heavy metals or microbes or may contain synthetic drugs or ingredients not listed on their labeling.

Dietary supplements comprise a wide range of products, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, botanicals, and other products. They may be in pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid form. Dietary supplement use is widespread in the United States, with industry sources claiming that more than three-fourths of all Americans take a dietary supplement of some kind. Older adults, in particular, are avid supplement consumers, with as many as 70 percent of older adults reporting that they take one or more types of supplements in a given month. An astounding 29 percent of older adults take more than four types of supplements in a given month.

Microbial contamination commonly occurs during the processing of the natural products in many dietary supplements, according to the report. A study of more than 180 samples of popular supplements, including St. John’s wort, cumin, ginger, garlic, and others, found that nearly all of the samples contained some degree of microbial contamination, posing considerable risks to consumers. The report also stated that one type of natural product, kratom, contained one or more types of Salmonella, which resulted in multiple hospitalizations.

Heavy metal contamination also poses concerns due to their association with several health conditions, including dementia. In a study of more than 120 dietary supplements sold in Canada, many of the products contained excessive levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, aluminum, and mercury. A study of dietary supplement products used in Ayurvedic medicine revealed that an alarming percentage of these products were contaminated with heavy metals, as well.

Many dietary supplements are adulterated with unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients, according to the report. Bodybuilding, weight-loss, and sexual-enhancement products are the most common types of supplements that the FDA has found to often contain undeclared drugs, and some of the drugs identified included phosphodiesterase inhibitors (for erectile dysfunction), diuretics, and sibutramine (for weight loss), among others.

A final concern is that many dietary supplements products simply aren’t composed of what they purportedly contain. Some may contain substitute products (either due to reduced availability or to foreign language issues), while others simply don’t provide the amount indicated on the labeling.

These issues put consumers at considerable risk for both acute and chronic adverse health effects of dietary supplement consumption. Consumers should look for dietary supplement products that have undergone independent third-party testing from organizations such as USP, NSF, or ConsumerLab.com.

Link to full report.

Low maternal vitamin D levels in early to mid-pregnancy were associated with an increased risk for offspring ADHD. www.sciencedaily.com

Fatty Liver Vitamin A Blood Pressure

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by poor focus, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Approximately 5 percent of all children worldwide have ADHD. Findings from a recent study suggest that poor maternal vitamin D status may play a role in the pathophysiology of ADHD in children.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin stored in the liver and fatty tissues. It plays key roles in several physiological processes, such as the regulation of blood pressure, calcium homeostasis, immune function, and the regulation of cell growth. Emerging evidence indicates that vitamin D is critical for the health and function of the central nervous system. Vitamin D is synthesized in a multistep process in the skin, liver, and kidneys following exposure to ultraviolet light or it can be obtained from dietary sources such as salmon, mushrooms, and many fortified foods.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine, IOM) has determined that people are at risk for vitamin D deficiency if their levels are less than 30 nmol/L, and are potentially at risk for deficiency if their levels are between 30 and 50 nmol/L. Levels of 50 nmol/L are considered sufficient for most people.

The population-based case-control study included 1,067 children born in Finland between 1998 and 1999 who had been diagnosed with ADHD and 1,067 matched controls. The study drew on data from Finnish national registries as well as maternal blood samples collected during the first trimester of pregnancy for women enrolled in the Finnish Maternal Cohort of the Northern Finland Biobank Borealis. These samples were collected before Finland began recommending vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy.

The data were adjusted for several potential confounding factors, including the number of previous births, maternal socioeconomic status, maternal age, self-reported smoking during pregnancy, maternal cotinine levels (a biomarker of nicotine), gestational age, weight for gestational age, information on maternal and paternal psychiatric diagnoses (including ADHD), substance use disorders, maternal immigrant background, and month of blood draw.

The study revealed that children born to women who had low vitamin D status during their pregnancies were 45 percent more likely to develop ADHD, even after adjusting for maternal socioeconomic status and age. The average vitamin D level among women whose children developed ADHD was 29 nmol/L.

There are biologically plausible explanations for the association between developmental vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of offspring ADHD. Early pregnancy is a critical period for fetal brain development, which is a complex process influenced by genetics and the in utero environment.

I published an article a few years ago first identifying how vitamin D regulates the conversion of the essential amino acid tryptophan into serotonin, and how this may influence the development of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, which all share as a unifying attribute low brain serotonin. Read more about these findings here.

IQs of children whose mothers consumed fish during pregnancy nearly 5 to 10 points higher than those of children whose mothers did not eat fish. www.nytimes.com

Brain Omega-3 Pregnancy Vitamin A Intelligence

A pregnant woman’s diet has considerable impact on her child’s health and development. Findings from two recent reviews suggest that maternal consumption of fish and seafood improves children’s performance on intelligence tests.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, seafood is a broad term that includes both fresh and saltwater fishes (such as salmon, tuna, trout, and tilapia) and shellfish (such as shrimp, crab, and oysters). Dietary intake of seafood provides many vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that play key roles in a child’s neurocognitive development during pregnancy and early life. Seafood also contains mercury, a neurotoxicant. Questions remain about whether seafood consumption impairs neurocognitive development in pregnancy and childhood.

The authors of the review analyzed data from randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, or case-control studies involving pregnant women and their children, including 29 studies of more than 102,000 mother-child pairs and 15 studies of more than 25,000 children under the age of 18 years. They found that even low intake of seafood – about four ounces per week – improved neurocognitive development among children. These improvements were manifested in an average increase of 7.7 points on intelligence tests. In addition, no negative neurocognitive outcomes were reported, even with high seafood intake, despite possible higher mercury exposure to mercury.

These findings have relevance for public health recommendations regarding dietary seafood intake among pregnant women and children.

Link to full study.30192-9/fulltext)

Treatment with intravenous vitamin C reduced death rates in patients with sepsis and severe acute respiratory fai news.vcu.edu

Vitamin C Vitamin A

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the body’s innate immune response to acute infection. Under some circumstances, aspects of this response that are typically associated with defense against infection can induce extensive cell and tissue damage, leading to multiple organ failure, the hallmark of sepsis. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common sepsis-associated injury that can lead to respiratory failure and death. A 2019 phase 2 trial found that intravenous vitamin C reduced death rates among patients with sepsis and ARDS.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial took place in seven medical intensive care units in the United States over a period of three years. The study participants included 167 male and female patients (average age, 55 years) with sepsis and ARDS. Every six hours for four days, the patients received either intravenous vitamin C (50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) or a placebo.

The authors of the study noted a substantial difference in the death rates for the two groups. Whereas approximately 30 percent of patients who received intravenous vitamin C died, more than 46 percent of patients who took the placebo died. Patients who received vitamin C also had fewer ventilated days, spent less time in intensive care (seven days versus ten), and their hospital stays were approximately one week shorter than those who received the placebo.

These findings suggest that intravenous vitamin C administration might be beneficial in critically ill patients who have sepsis and respiratory failure.

Link to full study.

A randomized controlled trial finds that magnesium is important for modulating vitamin D levels by both increasing and lowering them. www.sciencedaily.com

Vitamin D Magnesium Vitamin A Dairy

Participants that were low in vitamin D at the start of the clinical trial were able to successfully raise the levels of the major form of circulating vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D3) if they took a magnesium supplement along with their vitamin D supplement. Surprisingly, participants that had high 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels at the start of the trial actually lowered their levels to a more normal range after supplementing with magnesium and vitamin D.

Both in vitro and animal studies have indicated that magnesium deficiency affects enzymes which synthesize and metabolize vitamin D metabolites.

Based off of recent NHANES data ~45% of the US population does not meet the daily requirement for magnesium which is 310 mg/day for adult females and 400 mg/day for adult males.

Magnesium is found at the center of a chlorophyll molecule which is what is responsible for giving plants their green color. That should make it obvious that leafy greens are a great source of magnesium. One cup of cooked spinach contains 156 mg.

VITAL study: How vitamin D and fish oil affect risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer www.eurekalert.org

Vitamin D Cancer Heart Disease Omega-3 Vitamin A

Finally, the highly anticipated result of the VITAL Study are in - at least for the major endpoints CVD and cancer.

While at first sight they may seem disappointing and have already prompted the usual, overgeneralizing negative reports from many media outlets, there are some remarkable findings if you look more closely - such as a whopping 77% reduced risk for heart attacks in African Americans taking fish oil (all those media who are now sweepingly reporting that fish oil dies “not reduce CVD”, without mentioning this, such as MdMag*, musk ask themselves whether they are looking at the results through racist glasses, as the investigators certainly didn’t make a secret of this remarkable finding).

With regard to vitamin D, the results certainly don’t support the strong effect on cancer risk suggested by some observational studies, but there seems to be a modest effect building up over time, and given the fact that 2000 IU is a rather modest dose indeed and not expected to raise the blood level by more than 10 ng/ml, the jury is far from out on vitamin D and cancer.

Anyway, this is a very high quality trial providing the researchers with a treasure-trove of data that will be subject to many auxillary studies. I’m particularly curious about the upcoming studies regarding autoimmune and mental health endpoints.

*https://www.mdmag.com/conference-coverage/aha-2018/vital-study-supplements-of-omega3s-or-vitamin-d-do-not-reduce-cvd-or-cancers

10 potential "longevity vitamins" including ergothioneine, PQQ, queuine, taurine, lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin & more. www.ucsf.edu

Aging Vitamin A Antioxidant Protein Taurine Polyphenol Carotenoids

A new study by my mentor Dr. Bruce Ames proposes that 10 known compounds be classified as potential longevity vitamins due to their interaction with proteins that protect against diseases of aging. The concept is based on the Triage Theory, which classifies proteins and enzymes as either survival proteins, needed for survival and reproduction, or longevity proteins, which protect against future damage and are sacrificed in case of vitamin shortage, leading to an acceleration of insidious diseases of aging.

These putative “longevity vitamins” include: ergothioneine (a fungal antioxidant found in mushrooms), queuine (a bacterial metabolite found in the gut), PQQ (a bacterial metabolite in soil that is taken up by plants ), lutein and zeaxanthin (concentrated in leafy greens), lycopene (found in tomatoes), alpha- and beta-carotene, and cryptoxanthin (all plant antioxidant carotenoids), astaxanthin (a marine carotenoid found in salmon and krill), and taurine (found in meat).

Supplemental Vitamins and Minerals for CVD Prevention and Treatment - ScienceDirect www.sciencedirect.com

Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin E Vitamin B12 Calcium Vitamin A Dairy

Hi Rhonda,

First off, I’m a big fan and I love your podcasts. The one thing I’m not such a fan of though, is the supplement craze.

Do you have any comments on this study? By the looks of it, the only supplement worth taking is folic acid and B-vitamins (which is something I am considering, since I rarely eat meat).

In my mind, if you predominantly eat plant-based wholefoods (vegetables, berries and fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds in that order), molluscs every now and then (once a month-ish) (and I do eat a bit of egg and cheese on occasions), is supplementation really necessary or even desired?

I’m a mid-twenties guy, who exercises a lot (stretching/yoga and running everyday, weights/calisthenics 3-6days/wk and intervals 2days/wk) and I strive to “optimize” my health and fitness (although I do feast on junk in social occasions every blue moon). I intermediate fast every day, every now and then I do a 2-4 day fast, and I meditate daily). Do you have any recommendations for other healthy habits I could implement? Sorry for the digression, I’d be happy with just an answer in regards to the study :)

women with blood levels of vitamin D in the 60 ng/ml range had an 80% lower breast cancer risk compared to women with less than 20 ng/ml. www.sciencedaily.com

Vitamin D Breast Cancer Vitamin A

A pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective studies finds that women with blood levels of vitamin D in the 60 ng/ml range had an 80% lower breast cancer risk compared to women with less than 20 ng/ml.

Another randomized controlled trial found that men given 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day slowed cancer progression and improved tumors in men with low-grade prostate cancer (compared to men given placebo).

In a 2009 paper published in the Annals of Epidemiology by the authors of this study, they recommended vitamin D levels between 40 to 60 ng/ml based on lowest all-cause mortality data.

Many factors regulate how much vitamin D3 a person makes from UVB exposure from the sun. These factors include geographic location/time of year since some northern latitudes do not get UVB exposure certain times of the year, how much pigmentation a person has since melanin acts as a natural sunscreen and blocks UVB radiation, age since the aging process makes the production of vitamin D3 from the sun much less efficient, body fat since vitamin D3 is less bioavailable to mobilize from the skin into the bloodstream with increasing fat mass, and other factors such as sunscreen and time spent in the sun.

The best way to know how much vitamin D to supplement with is to get a blood test before and after supplementation.

Fat Tissue Has Receptors for Sunlight and They Affect Fat Metabolism blog.humanos.me

Circadian Rhythm Fat Nitric Oxide Neurons Vitamin A Blue Light Protein

You probably already know that ambient light regulates circadian rhythms by interacting with light-sensitive neurons in the eye.

But let’s review anyway: In full white light (which contains all colors of light), the rays of the blue and green light spectrum activate melanopsin, a photosensitive protein in specific cells of the retina in the back of the eye. When light hits these cells, a signal transmits information to the brain’s master clock. By detecting various intensities and tones of light, the brain can keep track of what time of day it is.

This is relatively well established. We also know that sunlight can stimulate the production of vitamin D and nitric oxide, both of which have important effects on health. But are these all of the effects that light has on our physiology?

It has been known for several decades that a small percentage of blue light can penetrate human skin, and can even reach white subcutaneous adipose tissue. But the relevance of this finding on our physiology was not obvious.

Curiously, it has also been reported that high OPN4 (the gene that encodes the photopigment melanopsin) mRNA levels are found in human subcutaneous fat. Kind of weird: what the heck are these light-sensitive eye proteins doing in our fat tissue? Additionally, we now know that fat cells contain transient receptor potential cation (TRPC) channels – membranes that are found in the retina that open in response to varying intensities of light.

So, we know that blue light can get to subcutaneous fat tissue, and fat cells seem to have the machinery needed to respond to the signal that is transmitted by light. Very interesting. Is it possible that visible light penetrates the skin, and exerts physiological effects by activating a melanopsin / TRPC channel signaling pathway in human fat? And if so, could exposure to visible light have an impact on the regulation of body fat? The answer appears to be yes.

My guest in this episode (inadvertently) found the answer to this novel questions…

Pilot study finds supplementation with nicotinamide riboside improves blood pressure/arterial health particularly in individuals with hypertension. www.genengnews.com

Aging Heart Disease Mitochondria Vitamin A Blood Pressure Dairy

A pilot study finds supplementation with nicotinamide riboside (500 mg, twice a day) improves blood pressure and arterial health particularly in individuals with mild hypertension (compared to placebo). The decrease in blood pressure could translate to a 25% reduction in heart attack risk.

The study also found that 1,000 mg daily of nicotinamide riboside boosted levels increased NAD+ by 60%.

Nicotinamide riboside is a form of vitamin B3 that is converted into NAD+. NAD+ is a cofactor for many metabolic enzymes and becomes depleted across various tissues as we age. This causes the mitochondria to suffer and mitochondrial decay is also thought to also be a key driver of aging.

To learn more about the role of nicotinamide riboside and NAD+ in aging…check out my conversation with Dr. Eric Verdin. Click on the timeline for the exact time point when we discuss nicotinamide riboside.

Dr. Eric Verdin Episode: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/eric-verdin

Reaction time and mood were improved in young individuals that consumed blackcurrant berry drink with 500 mg of polyphenols compared to placebo. www.tandfonline.com

Brain Diet Vitamin A Polyphenol

Reaction time and mood were improved in young individuals that consumed blackcurrant berry drink with 500 mg of polyphenols compared to placebo in a small pilot randomized controlled trial. EEG data also showed the blackcurrant drink changed brainwave activity.

This was a small trial with a crossover study design, which means each person serves as their own control. Both the blackcurrant drink and the placebo drink had 6.98 g of sugar (glucose +fructose). They also both had the same amount of vitamin C…the only difference was that the placebo drink lacked the 500 mg of polyphenols.

Conclusions cannot be made from this trial alone since it was a small pilot trial. However, there is a growing body of clinical trials showing polyphenols positively affect brain function in both young and old individuals.

I understand that it would not be possible to make a placebo drink if the whole fruit was used…but I think it is better to consume the berries with the fiber which changes the way sugar is metabolized and also has benefits for the gut microbiome.

More reading: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26690214?dopt=Abstract

Reductive Stress in Inflammation-Associated Diseases and the Pro-Oxidant Effect of Antioxidant Agents www.mdpi.com

Vitamin A Antioxidant

In conclusion, recent information shows the importance of the redox regulation for cellular homeostasis.

Excess ROS (oxidative stress) or of reducing equivalents (reductive stress) alter the regulation of cellular signaling pathways, leading to several diseases. There are many sources of RS, and its generation alters different cellular processes, such as mitochondrial function, transcription, translation, and post-translational modifications.

An elevated ingestion of supposedly “healthy” compounds, such as antioxidant vitamins, synthetic antioxidants, polyphenols, or hormones (estrogens), can induce a pro-oxidant state, which generates RS with adverse effects for the organism.

Pérez-Torres, I., Guarner-Lans, V., & Rubio-Ruiz, M. E. (2017). Reductive Stress in Inflammation-Associated Diseases and the Pro-Oxidant Effect of Antioxidant Agents. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(10), 2098.

The Vitamin Myth: Why We Think We Need Supplements www.theatlantic.com

Vitamin A Supplements

Though focusing unduly on the Linus Pauling story - and ending with dramatic intention - the earlier paragraphs need some unpacking:

“On October 10, 2011, researchers from the University of Minnesota found that women who took supplemental multivitamins died at rates higher than those who didn’t. Two days later, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic found that men who took vitamin E had an increased risk of prostate cancer. "It’s been a tough week for vitamins,” said Carrie Gann of ABC News.

“These findings weren’t new. Seven previous studies had already shown that vitamins increased the risk of cancer and heart disease and shortened lives. Still, in 2012, more than half of all Americans took some form of vitamin supplements.”

I would appreciate any insights into the Minnesota and “seven previous studies” (uncited) and any changes community members have made in light of recent vitamin studies.

Sulforaphane reduces circulating lead by almost 2/3rds and improve memory-related water maze task in lead-exposed mice. www.sciencedirect.com

Fulltext Brain Alzheimer's Memory Environment Sulforaphane Vitamin A NRF2

This study shows some pretty interesting things in terms of a dramatic ability to (apparently) decrease lead status in the blood and seems to also really improve memory performance and reduce oxidative stress (from the lead) in the brain. It’s really pretty impressive, especially in light of the fact that, according to this paper, the neurotoxic effects are associated with amyloid beta production. This makes it plausibly relevant in the context of Alzheimer’s.

FTA:

“Compared with the normal saline and [corn oil-treated] groups, the lead level in the blood of sulforaphane and SFN + Vitamin E group had a significant decrease. In water maze test, the mice treated with sulforaphane or/and Vitamin E performed better than mice of the normal saline and corn oil groups. In addition, a remarkable decrease in MDA (malondialdehyde) level was found in mice treated with sulforaphane or/and vitamin E than those in normal saline and corn oil groups.”

Not stated explicitly so far as I could tell in the article, but the figure 2 makes it look like lead content in the blood is reduced by almost 2/3rds. According to figure 6, MDA in the hippocampus, a marker for oxidative status, rises by approximately half of what the lead-exposed non-SFN group did (normal saline). In other words: more oxidative stress than control in the hippocampus, but not as much as lead without sulforaphane. It’s almost like they got half the lead exposure, if the dose-response was linear. Similarly, actual memory function was dramatically improved (measured by maze task) relative to non-sulforaphane group… but still lagged control by a little bit.

Altogether interesting study!

Inflammation Meditation Pregnancy Controversial Drug Rhonda Curcumin Vitamin A Dairy

Hi Rhonda, my wife takes pain medication pretty regularly (at least a 2 in a day a couple of times a week) for headaches and in Joe Rogan’s podcast i heard you mention the negative effects of ibuprofen… Strokes etc…

I was wondering what you would recommend as a substitute to this issue? I was figuring curcumin could be a possibility. Also, i had an thought about the regular use of pain medication for something like a headache and whether or not regular use could increase the likelihood of headaches. If there is any basis in fact for my thoughts i’d be interested to know as i haven’t really done any research on this.

Some things to note: She takes contraceptive pills and skips the sugar pills as to not get her period - I feel this is a terrible idea but she won’t listen to me. If you have insight on this, either relating to the original question or as a side note i’d be interested to know your take on it

Her nutrition is decent. She eats a lot of fruit, nuts, fish and vegetables and takes daily vitamin supplements (fish oil, D3, multi’s, glucosamine, and a few others).

Cheers Rhonda :)

Lifestyle And Diet May Stop Or Reverse Prostate Cancer Progression (Dean Ornish Study) www.sciencedaily.com

Exercise Cancer Diet Prostate Vitamin A Protein Aerobic

FTA:

The research team studied 93 men with biopsy-proven prostate cancer who had elected not to undergo conventional treatment for reasons unrelated to this study. The participants were randomly divided into either a group who were asked to make comprehensive changes in diet and lifestyle or a comparison group who were not asked to do so.

[…] After one year, the researchers found that PSA levels (a protein marker for prostate cancer) decreased in men in the group who made comprehensive lifestyle changes but increased in the comparison group. There was a direct correlation between the degree of lifestyle change and the changes in PSA. Also, they found that serum from the participants inhibited prostate tumor growth in vitro by 70 percent in the lifestyle-change group but only 9 percent in the comparison group. Again, there was a direct correlation between the degree of lifestyle change and the inhibition of prostate tumor growth.

Participants in the lifestyle-change group were placed on a vegan diet consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes supplemented with soy, vitamins and minerals. They participated in moderate aerobic exercise, yoga/meditation, and a weekly support group session.

Intravenous vitamin C given to patients with lung cancer nearly doubled the shrinking of their tumors after chemo. time.com

Cancer Vitamin C Vitamin A

Around 93% of the people receiving the intravenous vitamin C are responding to chemotherapy and radiation, compared to 40% who usually do. The intravenous vitamin C may also show encouraging results in a small sample of people with glioblastoma. Remember that oral doses of vitamin C (even liposomal) can not achieve the same plasma concentrations that IVC can, which are between 800 to 1,000-fold higher. Other studies have revealed mechanisms by which the IVC works including the production of hydrogen peroxide which selectively kills cancer cells. Normal cells can detoxify the hydrogen peroxide but cancer cells cannot. The IVC also inhibits glucose from being taking up into the cancer cells since it competes for binding to glucose transporters. The multitude of both animal studies and clinical studies on intravenous vitamin C seem like it may be a very promising cancer treatment particularly with the standard of care treatment. I look forward to seeing the results of larger trials.

A vitamin D supplement containing the active form prevented autism is mice that were engineered to be predisposed. www.sciencealert.com

Vitamin D Serotonin Autism Vitamin A

A supplement containing the active form of vitamin D was shown to prevent autistic-like behaviors in mice that are predisposed to them. The active vitamin D was given to pregnant mice during the first trimester and this prevented deficits in social interaction, basic learning, and stereotyped behaviors. While this study did not find a mechanism, I published a study in 2014 suggesting that low maternal vitamin D may increase the risk of autism because vitamin D controls the production of serotonin. Serotonin acts as a brain morphogen during early brain development and it shapes the structure and wiring of the developing brain. Low brain serotonin during development has also been linked to autism. It is unclear what maternal vitamin D levels are optimal but I like to shoot for levels between 40-60 ng/ml based on all-cause mortality studies. Levels above 30 ng/ml are considered sufficient. I like to measure vitamin D levels even after supplementation to make sure that I am getting the right amount (not too low or high). I take between 2,000 IU to 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day, depending on the season.

High-dose intravenous vitamin C selectively kills cancer cells by increasing H2O2 & potently kills cancer stem cells. www.sciencedaily.com

Cancer Vitamin C Stem Cells Vitamin A

High-dose intravenous vitamin C has previously been shown to selectively kill cancer cells by increasing hydrogen peroxide and now it has been found to potently kill cancer stem cells. The new study screened a variety of compounds in order to find those that were most potent at killing cancer stem cells, which are the most resistant to any type of cancer treatment. Interestingly, vitamin C was found to be 10 times more potent at killing cancer stem cells (cultured in a dish) than 2-deoxyglucose, a drug that prevents cancer cells from using glucose via glycolysis. While this study was done in a culture dish, other studies have been done in animals and humans. It is important to realize that intravenous vitamin C increases blood levels that are 100-500 times higher than levels that can be achieved with oral ingestion. It is this VERY-high concentration of vitamin C in the blood that results in the generation of hydrogen peroxide that selectively kills cancer cells because normal cells effectively remove it but cancer cells cannot. Also, early phase 1 clinical trials showed that the combination of high-dose, intravenous vitamin C with standard chemotherapy or radiation was well tolerated and improved patient outcome. Larger clinical trials are now underway.

High dose vitamin C selectively kills tumor cells through its oxidized form & starves cancer cells of energy. news.sciencemag.org

Cancer Vitamin C Vitamin A Antioxidant

I also want to add that while vitamin C is considered an antioxidant it does not act the same as other antioxidants such as vitamin E and NAC, which have actually been shown to accelerate tumor growth. Vitamin E and NAC can sequester reactive oxygen species (which activates cancer cell death) and prevents cancer cells from dying. Vitamin C does not act the same way. This is why it is VERY important to understand mechanisms and not make generalizations. Vitamin C is in constant homeostasis between oxidized and reduced forms and this depends on many factors including dose. When administered intravenously, the vitamin C dose is so high that it forms the oxidized form and this does a couple of important things that can kill cancer cells. First, it causes oxidative stress in cancer cells (a well known mechanism to activate cell death of a cancer cell). Second, it inhibits the glycolysis pathway, thus starving cancer cells of glucose.

Tags are here! What sort of tags would you add? docs.google.com

Meta Vitamin A

Hey guys! Thanks to the prolific posting of many of you, there’s now a over a thousand posts on here… which is pretty awesome!

At this point, it probably makes sense to offer some ability to group some of the stories. We’ve turned on tagging… in fact, this post is itself tagged “meta”. Clicking “meta” isn’t too exciting since this is our first meta post, but in the future we’re hoping we can get more relevant tags to group things by.

Here’s a few we added really quick that anyone can (optionally) use now when they post something… brain, alzheimer’s, vitamin d, nutrition, exercise, abstract, full text, parkinson’s, technology, question, cancer, gut, diet, turmeric, obesity, epigenetics, aging, meta

Open to suggestions for new tags, especially anything that reasonably applies to any of the over 1,000 stories you can find linked here.

Adding vitamin C to green tea increases the bioavailability of the antioxidants present in the green tea. www.sciencedaily.com

Vitamin C Green Tea Vitamin A Antioxidant

Catechins are bioactive compounds present in green tea. One well-known catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species and has demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties in both clinical and in vitro studies. Some evidence suggests that adding vitamin C to green tea might increase the bioavailability of the catechins present in green tea.

Consumers of green tea commonly add milk, lemon, or other substances to their tea. To assess the impact that these additives have on catechin bioavailability, the authors of the study added varying quantities of citric acid, BHT and EDTA (common preservatives), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), milk (cow’s, soy, and rice), and citrus juice (orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime) to prepared tea. Then they subjected the tea formulations to simulated digestive processes and measured the amount of catechins they recovered.

They found that overall, green tea catechin recovery was poor, with more than 80 percent loss of catechins during digestion. Adding milk to tea increased catechin recovery considerably, but the greatest improvements were observed with the addition of vitamin C or citrus juices, the latter of which increased recovery to 98 percent.

Citrus juices contain bioactive compounds that might influence catechin recovery, but they are also rich in vitamin C. These findings suggest that consumption of green tea with vitamin C, especially in conjunction with other bioactive compounds in citrus juices, increases the recovery of the beneficial components present in the tea.

Link to study abstract.

[TIMELINE] Joe Rogan Experience #502 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick www.foundmyfitness.com

Omega-3 Depression Insulin Fatty Liver Vitamin A Isothiocyanates Antioxidant Protein Dairy Blood Sugar Metabolic Syndrome Myrosinase

This is the full minute-by-minute timeline for JRE #502. Click here to watch the video on YouTube.

00:02:42 - Starts off by talking about kappa opioids and dynorphin and how you feel stress right before important events
00:04:24 - Joe talks about how great you feel after a competition (fight)
00:05:35 - Talks about how capsaicin in spicy food also induces a release of endorphins via dynorphin agonization
00:06:22 - Briefly mentions sauna/hyperthermic conditioning article featured on 4-Hour Workweek
00:06:45 - Description of hormesis and how this is part of the mechanism of action for things like EGCGs in green tea and polyphenols in fruit.
00:07:50 - Joe brings up that Rhonda suggested mycotoxin might be hormetic previously, Rhonda clarifies this was entirely and highly speculative. Includes jazz hands.
00:08:45 - Joe mentions that his best decisions are made after a good workout. He does not trust his judgment if he has not got a good workout in.
00:09:15 - Discussion of exercise and how it grows new brain cells (neurogenesis) via the BDNF pathway and how the growth of new brain cells allows you to forget other memories.
00:11:20 - Joe mentions how people in highschool that never left your small hometown sometimes remember stuff you don’t. Get out of the small town, highschool friends. Make new memories.
00:12:00 - Talks about how amygdala activation from either extreme excitement or fear increases episodic memory.
00:12:15 - Talks about her new paper and how serotonin plays a role in brain function/dysfunction, behavior, and episodic memory.
00:13:38 - Joe brings up MDMA burnout and suggests serotonin’s role in episodic memory may be why the MDMA/roller burnout stereotype exists
00:15:00 - Explanation of what receptor down-regulation is and why it adds enormous complexity to understanding the effects of drugs, like SSRIs.
00:16:27 - Discussion of “Serotonin Syndrome.”
00:17:22 - Most serotonin is actually made in the gut, not the brain.
00:17:44 - Discussion of how the genes that convert tryptophan to serotonin found in the gut (TPH1) and in the brain (TPH2) are show a characteristic nucleotide sequence known as a “Vitamin D Response Element” that seems to indicate, for the most part, that Vitamin D represses the production of serotonin in the gut (TPH1) and increases serotonin in the brain (TPH2). This is the subject of Rhonda’s most recent academic paper: “Vitamin D hormone regulates serotonin synthesis. Part 1: relevance for autism.”
00:18:45 - Serotonin made in the gut has been shown to cause gastrointestinal inflammation by activating T cells and causing them to proliferate. Knocking out TPH1 in a mouse model of colitis ameliorates the inflammation associated with the disorder.
00:21:55 - Theoretical vitamin D mechanism may play a role in the development of autism by depriving developing foetus of serotonin that serves as an “early brain morphogen” when mothers are deficient in vitamin D.
00:23:45 - Autism appears to be developing early in utero (during pregnancy) and seems to show indications of being at least partially related to environment.
00:24:00 - Estrogen can activate TPH2 in lieu of Vitamin D and thus may explain why autism is predominantly found in males.
00:24:30 - Gut inflammation is common among autistics.
00:24:45 - Explains 5-HTP bypasses the normal tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) conversion, and because of that it can be converted into serotonin more rapidly… but (hypothetically) too soon and in the gut instead of the brain.
00:25:35 - Tryptophan gets transported into the brain in order to be converted into serotonin by tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH2) but competes with BCAAs for transport into the brain, which are transported preferentially.
00:25:55 - Tryptophan is less abundant of an amino acid than branch chain amino acids like leucine in protein.
00:26:55 - Joe asks Rhonda if T cell activation/proliferation in the context of TPH1 has relevance for AIDS.
00:28:00 - Joe relates how “New Mood” (Onnit’s product) was originally called “Roll Off.”
00:30:30 - Joe quips that it was recently experimentally validated in mice that DMT is produced in the pineal glands of mice during sleep, goes on to talk about speculation that near death experiences relating to altered perception from endogenous DMT release.
00:35:10 - Plays a video of a jaguar eating hallucinogenic plants.
00:37:20 - Talks about monoamine oxidase
00:38:40 - Merits of “theoretical papers” (like “Vitamin D hormone regulates serotonin synthesis. Part 1: relevance for autism.”)
00:39:37 - 70% of population is vitamin d deficient. Segways to awesome infographic created by @tjasonwright which covers a ton of the basic facts about vitamin D.
00:43:02 - BaadBobby’s Dad turned Joe onto TA-65. TA-65 has been shown to increase telomere length, but theres a guy who sued the company producing it. Anecdotally, BaadBobby’s dad had improvements in eyesight.
00:45:00 - Explanation of what telomeres are.
00:48:50 - Special enzyme telomerase rebuilds telomeres, but it’s found mostly only in stem cells… and more importantly: cancer cells. Cancer cells hijack this telomerase normally reserved for stem cells to live forever. Strangely… Mice, unlike humans, actually express telomerase in all of their cells and don’t have telomere shortening.
00:50:10 - Werner’s syndrome involves excessive telomere shortening.
00:53:33 - Explains how aging is a function of DNA damage and discusses DNA damage assay (test) that Rhonda performs.
00:55:30 - Obesity link to increased DNA damage.
00:56:50 - Talks about TA-65’s active ingredient in a study was shown to genuinely increase telomerase activity and length of telomeres.
00:58:22 - TA-65 study showed a 40% increase in telomere length in white blood cells in some humans studied.
00:58:44 - Second study on TA-65 using special mouse model from well-known lab also showed re-activation of telomerase, and even began reversing aging of their tissues. Mice notably did not get cancer. Reinforces findings of first study.
01:01:30 - Still concerned TA-65 could encourage the growth of pre-cancerous cells.
01:02:00 - Joe brings up alkalizing diet for cancer prevention (he’s a skeptic).
01:03:05 - Bad bacteria in gut is affected by pH.
01:06:20 - Joe brings up argument that sugar consumption affects growth of cancer.
01:07:50 - Explains because cancer cells become glycolytic which is why people fixate on sugar as a potential cancer cell.
01:08:40 - Rhonda mentions that taking away glucose, but allowing continued presence of glutamine allowed cancer cells to keep growing in vitro.
01:09:50 - Folic acid needed in the absence of cancer because you need it to build new DNA – but this is a problem if you do have a cancer because it can be a bad thing for the same reasons (folic acid needs to produce DNA because cancer cells are highly proliferative).
01:12:00 - Glucosinolates are cleaved into isothiocyanates by myrosinase which is de-activated by heat. Isothiocyanates are potent anti-cancer agents. Recent anti-kale stuff is, in a way, anti-isothiocyanates. Additionally, if you boil kale and de-activate myrosinase you’re actually decreasing the amount of isothiocynates by removing myrosinase.
01:14:00 - Kale thyroid stuff is probably only relevant if you’re very deficient in iodine – probably better to continue getting your isothiocyanates for cancer preventative reasons rather than sweating this stuff.
01:16:35 - Rhonda mentions tumor suppressor genes, which are activated by hormesis (good stress triggered by things like isothiocyanates).
01:19:20 - Joe brings up Dave Asprey’s take on boiling kale to remove oxalic acid.
01:20:10 - Spinach that was either raw, boiled, fried, or frizzled and found that raw and boiling doesn’t affect absorption, but it did very modestly affect minerals in kidneys if raw… didn’t seem to cause kidneys stones (in mice). Probably requires absurd amounts of spinach to cause kidney stones. Just not convinced that it’s bad to eat spinach or kale raw.
01:20:20 - Vegetables do make compounds that are sort of “bad for you” but have a net positive effect because they induce hormesis.
01:24:33 - JRE consensus of #502 –eating raw spinach and kale is good for you.
01:25:10 - Joe throws a curveball by bringing up a documented case of presumed oxalate induced nephropathy (kidney disease) from 1985 to 2010 – only 36 patients documented by paper. Only three patients really suspected that it was caused by raw juicing.
01:27:30 - Discussion of vegetable smoothies begins here – specifically using these powerful blenders which leave the fiber in, not juicing.
01:28:45 - Brock Lesnar allegedly ate nothing but meat, got diverticulitis.
01:29:07 - Putrefying bacteria make nasty smelling hydrogen sulfide farts, use sulfate as source of energy. Needs heme from red meat as a cofactor for creating hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide prevents human gut cells from making energy (ATP), and thus causes break-down of gut-mucus barrier.
01:32:25 - Brings up episode with Dr. Offitt on Bryan Callen’s podcast. Offitt claims vitamins and antioxidants cause cancer.
01:35:20 - Beginning of general debunking of Offitt’s claims.
01:36:05 - Randomized double-blind placebo controlled trials are awesome, but using them for nutrition research and expecting the design to perform as effectively is misguided.
01:37:30 - Everyone has different levels of vitamins & minerals in their body, but baseline for drugs is always the same: zero. This is an important fundamental difference.
01:42:20 - Years of research has to be published even if results aren’t great, and this requires salesmanship. This affects some of the misleading presentation of research.
01:43:04 - Joe brings up highly publicized and contentious “Enough is Enough” editorial which was covered at length in podcast #459.
01:46:28 - Begin discussion of Vitamin E prostate cancer study (the SELECT trial).
01:47:35 - Comparison of Alpha Tocopherol & Gamma Tocopherol forms of vitamin E. Alpha tocopherol serves predominantly as an antioxidant, gamma tocopherol serves as an anti-inflammatory agent by reducing reactive nitrogen species (also an anti-oxidant activity). Alpha tocopherol doesn’t serve the same anti-inflammatory behavior, and this is important because inflammation is a cancer initiator (among other things), and excessive alpha tocopherol consumption depletes gamma tocopherol from tissues.
01:50:45 - Study on prostate cancer found that alpha tocopherol and selenium didn’t affect cancer incidence at 5-year followup but at 7.5 year follow-up cancer risk for prostate cancer shot up from taking 400 IU of alpha tocopherol (vitamin E) per day. Importantly, what was found at the 5-year followup was that (relative to baseline) gamma tocopherol was depleted from the tissues. Those who weren’t deficient selenium (& were supplementing) that took the 400 IU of alpha tocopherol didn’t experience the increase in prostate cancer incidence.
01:52:05 - One of the proteins selenium is for is important for preventing damage from reactive nitration products. Nitration damage can cause cancer. This is an interesting novel mechanism by which a depletion of gamma tocopherol through a combination of inflammation and an increase in reactive nitratition products might be responsible for the increase cancer incidence found in this study.
01:54:00 - Discussion of vegetable smoothie as a good source of vitamin E, and also natural magnesium (from chlorophyll molecules – this was mentioned in JRE #459)
01:54:45 - Mixed tocopherol Vitamin E supplements exist which aren’t quite as high dose as 10x the RDA (400 IU) like used in those studies.
02:01:18 - RDA for Vitamin D is 600 IU a day. One study showed that 4,000 IU was more appropriate for actually adequately fixing without toxicity in deficient populations. 2000 to 4000 IU of vitamin D is probably a good range except for in cases of severe deficiency.
02:03:18 - Offit lumped omega-3 in with “antioxidants that cause cancer”, but this is misleading given the fact that randomized controlled trials have shown that omega-3 supplementation actually reduces all-cause mortality.
02:03:39 - 1500 IU of vitamin D a day has been correlated to a 17% reduced cancer risk (overall).
02:04:15 - Study based off of self-reported questionaire found that women who took vitamins (supplements) - on a daily basis had the longest telomeres.
02:05:45 - She tries to get all her micronutrients, as much as she can, from her diet including vegetable smoothies, fish, etc. However, in addition to her diet she takes: omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, a multi-vitamin which has selenium and other trace elements, iodine, B-complex.
02:06:30 - B vitamin deficiency is less common due to fortification. However, she supplements B vitamins anyway because changes in mitochondrial membrane rigidity that occurs with age alters the binding affinity (as represented by the constant kM) of important proteins needed to generate energy in the form of ATP which are embedded in the mitochondrial membrane. The Ames lab has partly demonstrated, however, that increasing the concentration of B vitamins compensates for these age related changes caused by changes in the confirmation (shape) of the proteins.
02:08:00 - Rhonda increasingly prefers Swanson brand vitamins, but gets omega-3 from nordic naturals.
02:10:00 - B vitamins are probably less dangerous because they’re water soluble (excess is more readily excreted, similar to Vitamin C)
02:11:00 - Plant form of omega-3, ALA, converts to EPA (normally found in fish) fairly inefficiently at a rate of about 5%.
02:12:13 - Microalgae oil is a good alternative to flaxseed oil if you’re trying to meet EPA/DHA needs and avoiding fish oil for one reason or another.
02:13:30 - Omega-3 EPA is a potent anti-inflammatory, and DHA is a really component of your cell membranes – and makes up about 40% of the brain.
02:13:54 - She takes about 6 pills of her omega-3, which amounts to ~3 “servings” of 800mg of EPA, and 600mg of DHA. (2400 and 1800 mg respectively)
02:15:28 - Omega-3 EPA, which can be bought more concentrated for its particular effects, interacts with the arachnidonic acid pathway to reduce inflammation. The arachnicdonic acid pathway is responsible for creating prostaglandins which activate the COX pathway.
02:16:05 - 2 grams of EPA per day has been shown to reduce C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a generalized systemic marker for inflammation but is most well known for its use to asses risk of cardiovascular disease.
02:17:45 - Omega-3 fatty acids are prone to oxidation. Refrigeration helps with this, however. Also check if they go rancid by smell, if smell bad then probably rancid.
02:20:00 - Talks about krill oil. Joe lists off a bunch of points from a Mercola article, and Rhonda points out it’s talking about ordinary effects of omega-3 and suggesting they may not be unique to krill oil.
02:27:29 - Recommends Linus Pauling Institute for good, objective source of supplemental micronutrient reviews.
02:28:35 - Brief mention of WellnessFX as a useful tool for getting a broad spectrum blood test checking for relevant markers for vitamins, minerals, inflammation, etc.
02:31:00 - Whackiness of homepathy discussed. Homeopathy makes use of official sounding measuring system that measures an absurd amount of dilution that actually guarantees that what you’re taking doesn’t actually include the active ingredient the supplement is being marketed for.
02:33:25 - Discusses how emerging research showing wisdom teeth has dental pulp stem cells in them and they offer promise for eventually being used as a source of cells that can be differentiated into things like brain cells. You can bank children’s teeth or adult wisdom teeth. Usually like $625 to “process” a tooth, and around $125/year to store it.
02:36:16 - They can now take fibroblast cells from skin, the sort that you slough off everyday, and add transcription factors to turn them into “pluripotent” stem cells which can turn into brain cells or liver cells.
02:37:35 - Joe brings up study where they took blood of young mice, injected it into old mice, and found the older mice experienced tissue regeneration. Inverse was also true: injecting young mice with old mouse blood increased rate of aging.
02:38:54 - Human “methylome” now being studied which is revealing a specific pattern of methylation in DNA that can be used to actually identify the chronological age of people. Since epigenetics is obviously playing an important role in age, this is another promising area of new inquiry that may eventually reveal how to reprogram our cells to “be younger”. Cancer cells show a methylation pattern that is ordinarily associated with old age and are clustered around areas related to DNA repair, mitochondrial metabolism, antioxidant genes (all areas associated with aging).
02:43:12 - Scientists are now able to take renal cells excreted in urine and turn them into pluripotent stem cells
02:43:45 - Rant about lack of funding in science reducing room for creativity/moonshots.
02:48:40 - Joe brings up new studies showing its possible to create artificial blood for transplant.
02:50:06 - Inactivating insulin growth factor in c. elegans worms doubles their lifespan from about 15 to 30 days.
02:52:40 - Joe asserts (reasonably so) that by age 200 he will most likely be a wizard.
02:55:42 - Joe relates the fact that he’s actually been evacuated twice due to large fires in his neck of the woods of L.A.
02:57:45 - Rhonda begins plug of iPhone app, website, Twitter, and podcast.

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