Podcast Summary: The Dr. Josh Axe Show

Episode: Cellular Health EXPERT: How to Build Bulletproof Cells for Energy, Detox & Longevity
Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Dr. Josh Axe
Guest: Jess Kane Berman, co-owner of BodyBio

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives deep into cellular health, focusing on how to build resilient, “bulletproof” cells to optimize energy, detoxification, and longevity. Dr. Josh Axe and Jess Kane Berman discuss the critical role of cell membranes, the importance of healthy fats and phospholipids, the hidden dangers of processed oils and supplements, and practical protocols for mitochondrial health, hormone balance, and effective detoxification.

Key Topics & Insights

1. The Foundation of Cellular Health: Membranes and Mitochondria

• Role of the Cell Membrane:
  • Jess emphasizes the cell membrane as the gatekeeper for nutrients and toxins, directly influencing energy and disease resilience.
  • “If you have low energy, it’s not from lack of sleep or lack of nutrients. It’s because your mitochondria is not functioning correctly. And we need to protect and make our cells more resilient in today's world because disease and health issues and toxicities, they are directly impacting our cells and our cell membrane.” (Jess, 01:17)
• Phospholipids vs. Essential Fatty Acids:
  • Cell membranes are made predominantly of phospholipids, not just essential fatty acids.
  • Foods like eggs, meats, fish, and fish roe are highlighted as the best sources of phospholipids.
  • Jess’s family tradition: “Eggs are my predominant recommendation. Egg yolks...my grandfather used to...do a raw cottage cheese, probably because of this dairy mix in egg yolks, usually about six egg yolks. Then he would put the flax seeds, the pumpkin seeds...on top of it. And that was his breakfast every day.” (Jess, 10:53)

2. Fats, Oils, and the “Seed Oil” Controversy

• Quality Over Fear:
  • Not all seed oils are harmful. The issue is with highly processed, rancid oils, not natural, fresh sources like raw sesame, flax, pumpkin, or walnut oil.
  • “People are now afraid to eat raw seeds. I mean, raw seeds are critical. They're so important to our health because we don't make essential fatty acids in the body.” (Jess, 06:29)
• Historical and Cultural Context:
  • Traditional practices like Ayurvedic seed cycling and the Budwig Protocol are cited as examples of healthy seed oil use for hormone modulation and cellular health.
• Fish Oil Critique:
  • 90% of fish oil supplements on the market are estimated to be rancid and oxidized due to processing.
  • Jess: “The highly processed fish oils...I would say they now estimate like 90% of fish oil on the market’s rancid and oxidized...let's also match it with the right essential fatty acid balance.” (13:57)

3. Whole Foods vs. Isolated Supplements

• Emphasis on Whole Food Nutrition:
  • Dr. Axe advises prioritizing nutrient-dense whole foods over isolated, synthetic supplements whenever possible: “Getting the food is always better than the supplement.” (17:09)
  • Fish roe, organ meats, and wild fish provide superior nutrient matrices compared to processed oils or pills.
• Key Longevity Foods:
  • Eggs (with yolks), steak, organ meats, raw dairy, fish roe, quality nuts, and seeds.
  • “Those are the longevity foods I focus on. But for a long time after my third baby, I actually couldn't digest those fats very well.” (Jess, 31:16)

4. Specialized Supplements and Protocols

a) NAD, NR, NMN, and Mitochondrial Health

• Taking NAD boosters (like NR/NMN) without first repairing cell and mitochondrial membranes can backfire.
• Jess: “If you start [NAD supplements] without actually taking care of cellular resilience and cell membrane health, it’s useless.” (26:30)
• Overdosing can lead to the “wired but tired” phenomenon, emphasizing the need for personalized dosing and foundational repair.

b) TUDCA and Ox Bile

• TUDCA: A bile acid used historically (from bear/bull bile; now synthesized) to improve bile flow, liver detoxification, and support fat absorption—especially important for those on high-fat diets or post-gallbladder removal.
• Ox Bile: Everyday support for those with gallbladder issues, often combined with digestive enzymes.
• Jess: “TUDCA…works to improve bile flow...helps for neurodegenerative benefits, part of detoxification protocols.” (34:25)

c) Butyrate (Butyric Acid) – “Natural Ozempic”

• Postbiotic molecule made by healthy gut bacteria, crucial for regulating immune function, metabolism, and blood sugar.
• Modern diets and environmental toxins drastically lower natural butyrate production.
• Jess: “Butyrate is a postbiotic...We're seeing less butyrate production than ever before. And butyrate is an awesome molecule for regulating immune function, metabolism, blood sugar regulation, increasing GLP1 production naturally in the gut...” (37:04)

5. Detoxification & Binders: Proceed with Caution

• Favor Gentle, Food-Based Binders:
  • Jess prefers natural binders like chlorella and pectin over harsh or synthetic products (e.g., activated charcoal, excessive zeolites, or cholestyramine).
  • Overuse of certain binders can strip vital nutrients and damage cell membranes.
  • “My biggest problem with the binder...is overuse...definitely activated charcoal...they really sort of halt your detoxification in a way, especially if you overdo it.” (Dr. Axe, 42:30)
• Detox Focus:
  • Support the body with nutrients and resilience, not just removal—especially for chronically ill individuals.

6. Minerals and Modern Deficiency

• Why We’re Deficient:
  • Soil depletion, industrial farming, and generational deficiencies mean even “healthy” eaters may lack essential minerals.
  • Biological dentistry is seeing an epidemic of cavities in children, linked to prenatal and environmental mineral insufficiency.
  • “He said, it's not about you, it's about how she was built in utero. It's about your mineral stores. We are deficient in minerals.” (Jess, 49:43)
• Practical Solutions:
  • Liquid, sea-sourced minerals added to water and smoothies.
  • Emphasis on food first, then supplement to address modern gaps.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the most powerful superfoods:
  “Caviar is really powerful in that other than breast milk, it is the only naturally occurring source of specialized pro resolving mediators...that's what makes a liposome. So it's going to get through the bloodstream into your little cells to be really integrated into our cells.” (Jess, 12:00)
• On “wired but tired” from overdoing NAD supplements:
  “I felt wired, but tired...so much energy that was overriding my circuits...I cut my dose way down...and then I'm like, oh, now I feel really good.” (Dr. Axe, 28:54)
• On birth control’s shadow impact:
  “I love that they put you on it to regulate your periods, not what's the root cause...it caused this slew of issues for me...I have a daughter who's 6 years old, and it's a scary world...I think it caused a lot of issues within insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. These are things that I fixed through food and supplementation.” (Jess, 17:55)
• On absorption:
  “In reality, you are what you absorb. Right. Are you absorbing what is going into your body?” (Dr. Axe, 25:04)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:10 – What is the cell membrane and why it matters
• 08:02 – Seed oils, omega-3/6 balance, and best food sources
• 13:57 – Why most fish oils are problematic
• 17:48 – Jess’ health journey: Birth control, hormone dysfunction, and cellular repair
• 26:30 – NAD, mitochondrial health, and the risk of “fixing the wrong layer first”
• 32:53 – TUDCA/bile acids for fat absorption and detoxification
• 37:04 – Butyrate: Why most are deficient and its metabolic superpowers
• 41:07 – Detox protocols: the good, the bad, and the dangerous (binders)
• 49:43 – Modern mineral deficiency, its root causes, and replenishment strategies

Practical Takeaways

• Prioritize food-based nutrition: Seek eggs with yolks, organ meats, fish roe, and raw dairy for cell membrane health.
• Choose unprocessed, high-quality oils and fats. Avoid highly processed seed and fish oils.
• Assess and personalize supplementation: More isn’t always better. Most benefit from modest, food-derived, bioavailable products.
• Support, don’t overwhelm, your detox pathways: Favor natural binders and gentle strategies.
• Replenish minerals, especially for kids and expecting mothers, using liquid sea minerals and food-based sources.
• Gut health is foundational: Use pro/pre/postbiotics and compounds like butyrate for optimal absorption and metabolism.

Final Words

This episode encourages a holistic, food-first approach to cellular and mitochondrial health while deconstructing supplement myths, exposing dangers of processed oils and conventional binders, and empowering listeners with practical protocols for lasting vitality. Jess’s personal journey and clinical wisdom provide a roadmap for those seeking profound, foundational wellness.