In this episode, Chris Masterjohn, entrepreneur, independent researcher and doctorate in nutrition, elucidates the latest research on the risk and benefits of NAD supplements, and shares his personal intuition on the topic. We also dive deep into choline deficiency and its role in the rising prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. From there, Chris enlightens us on the importance of methylation, a simple yet profoundly important biochemical process affecting our physical and mental health. He also describes the variations of the genes MTHFR and COMT, enzymes which play important roles in methylation and which have profound impacts on our well-being.

Subscribe on: APPLE PODCASTS | RSS | GOOGLE | OVERCAST | STITCHER

We discuss:

Chris’s background, falling in love with biochemistry, and decision to pursue research over medicine [7:45];

Choline: what it is, why it is important, and how a deficiency can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [11:45];

NAFLD: increasing prevalence and potential causes [25:00];

TMAO: Should we be worried about the TMAO content in choline and our foods? [39:15];

Types of fatty acids: How they may predispose us to different types of illnesses [53:30];

Why don’t we see low VLDL in patients with NAFLD? [59:45];

Understanding flux, and how machine learning may affect medicine in the near future [1:03:15];

NAD: How it works, supplements, sirtuins, and the central role of the liver [1:09:30];

Intravenous NAD [1:33:00];

Oral NR: Is it the optimal way to get more NAD? [1:38:30];

What is the possible harm of taking an NAD precursor? [1:47:15];

The MTHFR gene [1:49:45];

The methylation pathway [1:58:15];

The COMT gene [2:04:30];

Creatine: The uses and benefits and it’s important role in methylation [2:10:15];

Dietary strategies for MTHFR: choline, creatine, folate and glycine [2:16:45];

How to mitigate the negative effects of NAD supplements [2:23:45];

A case study of a person with high homocysteine [2:28:00];

What is the level of evidence that you need to take an action? [2:32:15];

Does Chris supplement with NAD precursors? And can it improve symptoms of rosacea? [2:35:45];

Decision making in the face of inconclusive data, and trying to disentangle the placebo effect [2:39:00];

What does Chris believe to be true that very few people would agree with him about? [2:43:15];

How to follow Chris’s work [2:48:45]; and

More.

§

Sign up to receive Peter's expertise in your inbox Sign up to receive the 5 tactics in my Longevity Toolkit, followed by non-lame, weekly emails on the latest strategies and tactics for increasing your lifespan, healthspan, and well-being (plus new podcast announcements). Email *

















Chris’s background, falling in love with biochemistry, and decision to pursue research over medicine [7:45]

Born in Queens

Grew up in a small town in Massachusetts

College

Undergrad in history

Looking for the most efficient way to get an undergrad that would be relevant to being a social studies teacher

But profound experiences with his personal health made him decide he wanted to go to medical school (which he didn’t end up doing)

While taking required course to be able to apply to medical school…

Began falling in love with biochemistry and molecular biology and “all the little invisible things that we couldn’t see”

Decide to go into research instead of medicine

Got his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut

“I really wanted to do is take my own experiences and pay them forward in some way. And I think the best way that I can do that is by using the creative part of my brain to really immerse myself in the research and come up with new ideas.”

Peter’s take on what to major in during undergrad

“I always think the worst thing you can do is do an undergrad in what you’re necessarily going to do in graduate school. . .it’s better to do something completely different.”

Recently gave his take on this topic in AMA #4

Chris on the benefit of looking back at history:

“I think one of the things that we often neglect in science is we get so caught up in the latest research that we forget to study the foundations of where things came from. My instinct is always to say, well, ‘where did this idea come from? What was the origin of this?’ And that inevitably leads to finding a fresh way to look at something because you realize the path that led you there, and that there were details that got left behind because no one knew what to do with those details at that time.”

Choline: what it is, why it is important, and how a deficiency can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [11:45]

Paper that said TMAO would lead to atherosclerosis: Gut Microbe-Generated Trimethylamine N-Oxide From Dietary Choline Is Prothrombotic in Subjects

And since choline contains TMAO, choline was now starting to be considered dangerous

Peter and Chris both had some problems with the science around this thesis

What is choline (chemically speaking)?

Choline is a methyl donor

Choline is an essential part of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter)

Choline is an essential part of phosphatidylcholine (a phospholipid that is in our cell membranes)

What is a methyl group? And what is methylation?

We are biological organisms

All biological organisms are made of hydrocarbons

And if you look at any molecule in our body, it’s mostly a string of carbons

If you want to change one of those molecules, you’re going to have to put together carbons, or take them apart

You can either put together carbons in two carbon units ( acetyl groups )

Or you can put together carbons in one carbon units ( methyl groups )

To methylate = “to put on a methyl group”

What foods contain choline?

A lot can be found in… Liver Egg yolks

Moderate amounts found in… Meat Nuts Low carb veggies (cruciferous)



Choline deficiency and fatty liver . . .

Would you like access to extensive show notes and references for this podcast (and more)? Check out this post to see an example of what the substantial show notes look like. Become a member today to get access. Become a Member