Questions on statins versus sulfur, glutathione intolerance, plasma zinc
Questions on statins versus sulfur, glutathione intolerance, plasma zinc
Here is your early access to the next three months of Q&A Files!
In January and February, I will be releasing the following Q&As on all my social media channels, but here on Substack you now have access to them immediately!
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These are snippets from the live Q&A sessions I run once a month with Masterpass members. To access the full recordings and transcripts, become a Masterpass member. You can learn more about it here. Get 10% off the membership fee using this link.
Statins Vs. Sulfur for Heart Disease
Short Answer: From the trials, statins seem to reduce heart disease risk and total mortality, but it is impossible to separate this from conflicts of interest and industry funding. There are plausible mechanisms by which they may hurt mitochondrial function and promote soft tissue calcification. Dietary sulfur appears to lower cholesterol. While Lester Morrison showed 1500 milligrams per day of chondroitin sulfate could reduce cardiac events 7-fold, this has a theoretical potential to hurt the microbiome. My preferred way of getting sulfur is 1.2-1.8 grams per kilogram bodyweight of total non-collagen protein, with an emphasis on animal protein.
Glutathione Intolerance: Getting to the Bottom of It
Short Answer: It could be byproducts of any of the three amino acids that make up the glutathione molecule, which include the individual amino acids, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, sulfite, and propionyl CoA, or it could be microbial metabolites of glutathione produced in the gut. The full answer contains seven hypothesis-driven tests that can be done at home to determine the cause.
Why Plasma Zinc is the Best Marker of Zinc Status
Podcast
Short Answer: Plasma zinc is the single most important marker of zinc status. Urine zinc may decline faster in deficiency. Hair zinc increases with supplementation but does not decrease in deficiency. Plasma zinc is decreased by inflammation, oxidative stress, the ovulatory and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, probably pregnancy and oral contraceptive use, and any kind of stress that leads to an adrenal output. If plasma zinc declines despite supplementation, corroborate that this reflects zinc status by showing normal hair zinc and low urine zinc. Use symptoms as the ultimate arbiter of whether zinc supplementation is helping.
The Full Recordings and Transcripts
These Q&A Files episodes are free snippets taken from three recent AMAs. To access the full recordings and transcripts, become a Masterpass member. You can learn more about it here. Get 10% off the membership fee using this link.
Here are the links that Masterpass members can use, as well as a preview of the content contained within them:
Ask Me Anything | October 12, 2022
Statins versus sulfur, glutathione intolerance, plasma zinc, unexplained rises in urine ketones, continuous glucose monitors, MK-4 and heart palpitations, niacin forms, and more.
The questions include:
NADH vs NMN vs NR
An unexplained rise in urine ketones
Spreading out calcium across meals
What should we have in our cold season cabinet?
What besides diet could cause my high morning glucose on a CGM?
Will some older people benefit from supplementing carnitine?
What do I think about the CGM fad?
Could my low triglycerides be cholestasis?
Why limit the dose of cod liver oil?
Why do I always feel better when my sulfur problems are worse?
Should I use one lab’s reference range with another lab’s results?
Is it safe to eat roasted potatoes?
How much weight should I give genetic SNPs in my nutrition?
High RBC magnesium but low serum: what could it mean?
Burning in the stomach: what could it be?
Should I treat low plasma amino acids by supplementing them?
Why would MK-4 cause heart palpitations?
Click here to see when the next Q&A is or to register for it if you are a Masterpass member. You can learn more about it here. Get 10% off the membership fee using this link.
Thanks to everyone who participated, and I hope you find these useful!
Chris