It's time for Episode 438, Q&A #31!

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Show Notes:

Brice says:

Just listened to Wired To Eat and loved it. I'm not too far off from this diet, am pretty "fit", but too frequently make exceptions which I think are totally sabotaging my efforts.

I'm still curious about your thoughts on carbonated water without added colors and flavors - like Topo Chico, Croix, Perrier, etc. I have one of these every couple days.. more as a treat than anything.

2. Have You Seen This Gluten Enzyme Study? [3:40]

Austin says:

http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-gluten-solution-aspergillus-niger.html

This is an enzyme that apparently neutralizes (or has the potential to) the inflammatory effects of gluten. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. If you've talked about it in a podcast already could you point me in the direction of finding it. If you haven't talked about it, could you include it in an upcoming podcast?

Thanks, Austin

3. Ancestral Consumption of Psychoactives? [7:42]

Charles says:

Hey there Robb!

I'm a "never smoker" as my doctor calls it and intend to stay that way, but this week I'm experimenting with very low dose nicotine patch. Got 21mg clear patches and cut into 8 to 12 pieces, one per day during daylight hours. Intentionally avoiding the nicotine rush I've found with gums and lozenges. Jury is still out overall, but so far it seems to help improve ADHD, intermittent fasting, and persistent low mood.

But that got me to thinking: For ancient hunter-gatherers, what would the usual modes of consumption be for such "medicinal" plants? Aside from smoking ("hey let's light this stuff on fire and breathe deep! great idea! cough cough gag") which is indeed attested in the historical contact record... My guess is tobacco, coca, and khat in their weaker pre-agricultural breeds would be chewed and spit. Maybe Mary Jane (again, the weaker natural version) would be an herb to go with fatty meats. Yerba mate and ordinary tea we know have been drunk in a hot water infusion. Then there's coffee and chocolate which are more recent...

Maybe part of our modern problem with drug abuse isn't the drug itself, but rather how it's been bred and prepared incorrectly. Much as it is with food. This is all speculation though. Have you given the matter any serious thought?

4. Vegan Vitamin D3? [23:36]

Leonardo says:

Hi Robb,

I just wanted to ask how do they make VEGAN vitamin D3 supplements?

Vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol is an animal product and it is created from cholesterol, isn't it?

How do lichens or other sources produce it? Is it the same form? Is it bioavailable in the same way?

Thanks for everything you do, I appreciate your work,

Leo

5. Gut Dysbiosis Concerns on Keto? [25:06]

Keenan says:

Dear Robb,

I appreciate very much your non-dogmatic approach when it comes to tackling information regarding VLC and keto dietary approaches (ie who are you, what are your performance needs, are you sick and busted up, a hard charging athlete, etc). That's why I feel you're the best person to ask about this, as you aren't inherently biased.

I have a family history of cancer, depression, mental illnesses, addiction, and adult ADHD. I haven't been diagnosed with any of these issues, though I definitely deal with unevenness in mood and focus. Besides my interest in preventing any future health issues for which I might be at risk, I've found that a very low carb, high fat diet just seems to suit my brain the best. I'm less irritable and anxious, my sex drive is fine, and most importantly for me, my focus and attention is just totally on-point. I've tried a multitude of eating styles but VLC is the only one that finds me springing out of bed in the morning with the birds chirping and excitement to get to work each day. I call it "natures adderall" except I don't have any crazy stim-mania.

The only thing holding me back from maintaining this approach is a nagging worry about the hypothetical implications of long term VLC, as it pertains to GI microbiome diversity, potential dysbiosis risks, mucin production, thyroid problems, etc. I've read as much as I can find from the experts I tend to trust in this field (Attia, D'agostino) but I've yet to find anything that definitevly quells my worry of causing some sort of damage, from which it might be difficult to come back.

Do you think the long terms risks might be overblown? I do take prescript-assist and raw potato starch as potential mitigators, but I don't know if VLC is taking a step or two back for my gut bugs, and I'm very concerned about treating them well. I always suspected gut problems being at the root of my late father's alcoholism and his myriad of inflammatory problems. Some of these worries have prevented me from staying in keto for longer than about a month at a time. Every time I start phasing a larger amount of carbs back in, however, there's a mild and annoying accompanying brain fog and up/down cycle, seemingly irrelevant of the dietary source.

I understand that these questions get vetted and you're busy, so no worries if this doesn't make the cut. I sincerely appreciate everything you and your team have done for the health of my family and myself, as well as the awareness you're raising regarding even larger political issues we're facing.

Sincerely,

Keenan LeVick

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Transcript:

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